as you may fancy, but got nothing by that as Tom took hold of a big
spar, and laid about with a will, so that though the whole country-side
was up in arms against him, he cleared his way wherever he came.

It was late in the evening ere he could turn homeward, and on the road
there met him four lusty rogues that had been robbing passengers all
day. They thought they had a good prize in Tom, who was all alone, and
made cocksure of his money.

"Stand and deliver!" said they.

"What should I deliver?" said Tom.

"Your money, sirrah," said they.

"You shall give me better words for it first," said Tom.

"Come, come, no more prating; money we want, and money we'll have before
you stir."

"Is it so?" said Tom, "nay, then come and take it."

The long and the short of it was that Tom killed two of the rogues and
grieviously wounded the other two, and took all their money, which was
as much as two hundred pounds. And when he came home he made his old
mother laugh with the story of how he served the football players and
the four thieves.

But you shall see that Tom sometimes met his match. In wandering one day
in the forest he met a lusty tinker that had a good staff on his