Tom burst out laughing. "I am the scoundrel!" he said. "Peter, that
explains why we went off so suddenly. I missed the fellow, and hit the
leader in the ear. However, it comes to the same thing. By the way, we
may as well take the pistols."

So saying, he ran up the ladder and brought down the pistols. By this
time the fresh horses were in.

"I can't make nought of it," one of the ostlers said, climbing up into
the coachman's seat. "Jump up, Bill and Harry. It's the rummiest go I
ever heard of in coaching."

"Landlady, can you get us some tea at once, please," Tom said, going
up to the landlady, who was looking on from the door of the house
with an astonishment equal to that of the men at the whole affair;
"as quickly as you can, for my sister looks regularly done up with
fatigue, and then, please let her lie down till the coach is ready to
start again. It will be three quarters of an hour before it is back,
and then, I daresay, there will be a lot of talking before they go on.
I should think they will be wanting breakfast. At any rate, an hour's
rest will do you good, Rhoda."

Rhoda was too worn out with the over-excitement even to answer.
Fortunately there was hot water in order to make hot grog for the
outriders of the coach, some tea was quickly made, and in ten minutes
Rhoda was fast asleep on the landlady's bed.

Tom and Peter expressed their desire for something substantial in the
way of eating, for the morning had now fairly broken. The landlady