Historical Mysteries by Andrew Lang
page 58 of 270 (21%)
page 58 of 270 (21%)
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In the night they took Harrison's money and 'tumbled me down a stone-pit.' In an hour they dragged him out again, and he naturally asked what they wanted with him, as they had his money already. One of these miscreants wounded Harrison again, and--stuffed his pockets full of 'a great quantity of money.' If they had a great quantity of money, what did they want with 23_l._? We hear of no other robberies in the neighbourhood, of which misdeeds the money might have been the profits. And why must Harrison carry the money? (It has been suggested that, to win popular favour, they represented themselves as smugglers, and Harrison, with the money, as their gallant purser, wounded in some heroic adventure.) They next rode till late on August 17, and then put Harrison down, bleeding and 'sorely bruised with the carriage of the money,' at a lonely house. Here they gave their victim broth and brandy. On Saturday they rode all day to a house, where they slept, and on Sunday they brought Harrison to Deal, and laid him down on the ground. This was about three in the afternoon. Had they wanted to make for the sea, they would naturally have gone to the _west_ coast. While one fellow watched Harrison, two met a man, and 'I heard them mention seven pounds.' The man to whom seven pounds were mentioned (Wrenshaw was his name, as Harrison afterwards heard--where?) said that he thought Harrison would die before he could be put on board a ship. _Que diable allait-il faire dans cette galère?_ Harrison was, however, put on board a casual vessel, and remained in the ship for six weeks. Where was the land to which the ship would go? Far, far ahead is all the sailors know! |
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