“‘That a fellow,”‘ continued Coates, “‘who is known to be a thief by the whole kingdom, shall for so long a time continue to rob us, and not only rob us, but make a jest of us.”‘
“Ha—ha—ha—capital! Excuse me, sir,” roared Jack, laughing till the tears ran down his checks—”pray, pray, go on.”
“I see nothing to laugh at,” replied Coates, somewhat offended; “however, I will conclude my letter, since I have begun it—’not only rob us, but make a jest of us, shall defy the laws, and laugh at justice, argues a want of public spirit, which should make every particular member of the community sensible of the public calamity, and ambitious of the honour of extirpating such a notorious highwayman from society, since he owes his long successes to no other cause than his immoderate impudence, and the sloth and pusillanimity of those who ought to bring him to justice.’ I will not deny,” continued Coates, “that, professing myself, as I do, to be a staunch new Whig, I had not some covert political object in penning this epistle.9 Nevertheless, setting aside my principles—”
“Right,” observed Jack; “you Whigs, new or old, always set aside your principles.”
“Setting aside any political feeling I may entertain,” continued Coates, disregarding the interruption, “I repeat, I am ambitious of extirpating this modern Cacus—this Autolycus of the eighteenth century.”
“And what course do you mean to pursue?” asked Jack, “for I suppose you do not expect to catch this ‘ought-to-lick-us,’ as you call him, by a line in the newspapers.”
“I am in the habit of keeping my own counsel, sir,” replied Coates, pettishly; “and to be plain with you, I hope to finger all the reward myself.”
“Oons, is there a reward offered for Turpin’s apprehension?” asked Titus.
“No less than two hundred pounds,” answered Coates, “and that’s no trifle, as you will both admit. Have you not seen the King’s proclamation, Mr. Palmer?”
“Not I,” replied Jack, with affected indifference.
“Nor I,” added Titus, with some appearance of curiosity; “do you happen to have that by you too?”
“I always carry it about with me,” replied Coates, “that I may refer to it in case of emergency. My father, Christopher, or Kit Coates, as he was familiarly called, was a celebrated thief-taker. He apprehended Spicket, and Child, and half a dozen others, and always kept their descriptions in his pocket. I endeavour to tread in my worthy father’s footsteps. I hope to signalise myself by capturing a highwayman. By-the-by,” added he, surveying Jack more narrowly, “it occurs to me that Turpin must be rather like you, Mr. Palmer?”
“Like me,” said Jack, regarding Coates askance; “like me—how am I to understand you, sir, eh?”
“No offence; none whatever, sir. Ah! stay, you won’t object to my comparing the description. That can do no harm. Nobody would take you for a highwayman—nobody whatever—ha! ha! Singular resemblance—he—he! These things do happen sometimes: not very often though. But here is Turpin’s description in the Gazette, June 28th, A.D. 1737: ‘It having been represented to the King that Richard Turpin did, on Wednesday, the 4th of May last, rob on His Majesty’s highway Vavasour Mowbray, Esq., Major of the 2nd troop of Horse Grenadiers’ (that Major Mowbray, by-the-by, is a nephew of the late Sir Piers, and cousin of the present baronet), ‘and commit other notorious felonies and robberies near London, His Majesty is pleased to promise his most gracious pardon to any of his accomplices and a reward of two hundred pounds to any person or persons who shall discover him, so as he may be apprehended and convicted.”‘
“Odsbodikins!” exclaimed Titus, “a noble reward! I should like to lay hands upon Turpin,” added he, slapping Palmer’s shoulder: “I wish he were in your place at this moment, Jack.”
“Thank you!” replied Palmer, shifting his chair.
“‘Turpin,”‘ continued Coates, “‘was born at Thacksted, in Essex; is about thirty’—you, sir, I believe, are about thirty?” added he, addressing Palmer.
“Thereabouts,” said Jack, bluffy. “But what has my age to do with that of Turpin?”
“Nothing—nothing at all,” answered Coates—”suffer me, however, to proceed?—’Is by trade a butcher’—you, sir, I believe, never had any dealings in that line?”