Page:History of John M'Pherson, Dick Balf, and Gilder Roy.pdf/13



13                    night at an hour fixed. A heavy shower of rain favoured Balf's design; he car- ried with him four old stockings, and put a little hay into the feet of them, drew them on the horse, and led him, saddled and bridled, through the gate- way, without making any noise. As                    soon as he had got the horse into the street, (without staying to take off the                    stockings, which he thought would soon                     wear off with riding, in which he guess-                     ed right,) he mounted, and made off, without taking leave of any body, hav- ing taken care to provide himself with a good case of pistols and a sword before hand, but never thought proper to en- quire what time the owner missed his horse, or what search he made after it. Thus accoutred, and well mounted on                    a good nag, he rode all night till be came to the house of one of his acquaintances near Athlone, where he lay concealed with his horse till the next day, resolving no to make his public appearance till he got a good distance from Galway. He then moved to the north, and be- gan his new trade of “Stand and deli- ver," as usual with men of his rank, and                    had such wonderful success in his