Page:Long pack, or, The robbers discovered (3).pdf/21

21 the least relief, for fear of a surprise. An hour or two after this great brush, Edward and his messmate descended again, and begged hard for leave to go and reconnoitre for a few minutes, which after some disputes was granted. They found only four men fallen, who appeared to be all quite dead. One of them was lying within the porch. “ Faith," said Edward, here's the chap that I shot.” The other three were without at a considerable distance from each other. They durst not follow their track farther, as the road entered betwixt groves of trees, but retreated into their posts without touching any thing. About an hour before day, some of them were alarmed at hearing the sound of horses feet a second time, which, however, was only indistinct and heard at considerable intervals, and nothing of them ever appeared. Not long after this, Edward and his friend were almost frightened out of their wits, at seeing, as they thought, the dead man within the gate, endeavouring to get up and escape. They had seen him dead, lying surround- led by a deluge of congealed blood, and nothing but the ideas of ghosts and hobgob- lins entering their brains, they were so indiscreet as never to think of firing, but ran and told the tale of horror to some of their neighbours. The sky was by this