Page:Merry life and mad exploits of Captain James Hynd.pdf/9

 of Captain James Hynd. 9

The parſon by this time was come to himſelf, nd deſired the juſtice to give him leave to ſpeak or himſelf. Being allowed to ſpeak, he ſaid to he juſtice, Sir, you have known me theſe twenty years, and no man can ſay I have wronged him of a penny, much leſs this which is laid to my charge: Sir, I ſhall tell you ſo much as I know of the buſineſs. As I was riding on my way home, I met a man who had two bags of money before him, who told me that thieves purſued him, and he deſired my help, ſaying that I need not fear, for one honeſt man would beat ten thieves: ſo he gave me a piſtol charged, cocked and primed, and bade me fire at the firſt that came an, while he raiſed the countrymen to aſſiſt us: ſo when theſe gentlemen came down the hill, I rode up to them, and fired the piſtol at one of them: when I had ſo done, I ſung it at this gentleman's head, thinking they had been all thieves. Sir, this is all that I know of the matter. The juſtice laught to ſee the parſon of his pariſh apprehended for a highwayman, but he paſt his word for appearance at the next aſſize; who when he was brought before the bench, he was cleared: but he made a vow never to fire a piſtol again.

CHAP. VII.

How Hynd robbed a Gentleman of thirty pounds, who would give twenty pounds to ſee him.

HYND overtook a gentleman as he rode on the road, and they fell in diſcourſe; ſo the gentleman was ſaying, he would give twenty pounds to ſee Hynd. But as they were riding, the gentleman fancied Hynd's horſe. Sir, ſaid the