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 Mehitable and Charity with no apology at all. Then a strange thing happened!

No sooner were that old lady's feet firmly planted on terra firma than she gave the sentinel a powerful shove that sent him sprawling backward into the road and lifting her skirts high, she set off at a gallop up the road.

For an instant, so swiftly had this taken place, everyone sat appalled. Then the man named Hawtree gave an angry shout and struggled to open the coach door at his side, while the other man, drawing his pistol, leaned far out of his window and fired it after the astonishing old lady.

It did not stop her, however. She only lifted hei skirts higher in order that she might run faster and at last she disappeared into the woods that lined the road at this point.

Hawtree held up his hand. "Go on," he ordered the coachman furiously and slammed shut the coach door.

"Didst see?" whispered Mehitable to Charity, as they sat staring at each other. "Didst see? That old lady was a man!"