The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Colonel Jacque, Commonly Called Colonel JackDefoe, Daniel
General
The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Colonel Jacque, Commonly Called Colonel Jack
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories, English; England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Picaresque fiction
The first time I went with him, he brought me into the company only of
two more young fellows. We met at the lower part of Gray’s Inn Lane,
about an hour before sunset, and went out into the fields toward a
place called Pindar of Wakefield, where are abundance of brick-kilns.
Here it was agreed to spread from the field-path to the roadway, all
the way towards Pancras Church, to observe any chance game, as they
called it, which they might shoot flying. Upon the path within the bank
on the side of the road going towards Kentish Town, two of our gang,
Will and one of the others, met a single gentleman walking apace
towards the town. Being almost dark, Will cried, “Mark, ho!” which, it
seems, was the word at which we were all to stand still at a distance,
come in if he wanted help, and give a signal if anything appeared that
was dangerous.
Will steps up to the gentleman, stops him, and put the question; that
is, “Sir, your money?” The gentleman, seeing he was alone, struck at
him with his cane; but Will, a nimble, strong fellow, flew in upon him,
and with struggling got him down. Then he begged for his life, Will
having told him with an oath that he would cut his throat. In that
moment, while this was doing, comes a hackney-coach along the road, and
the fourth man, who was that way, cries, “Mark, ho!” which was to
intimate that it was a prize, not a surprise. And accordingly the next
man went up to assist him, where they stopped the coach, which had a
doctor of physic and a surgeon in it, who had been to visit some
considerable patient, and, I suppose, had had considerable fees. For
here they got two good purses, one with eleven or twelve guineas, the
other six with some pocket-money, two watches, one diamond ring, and
the surgeon’s plaster-box, which was most of it full of silver
instruments.
While they were at this work, Will kept the man down who was under him;
and though he promised not to kill him, unless he offered to make a
noise, yet he would not let him stir till he heard the noise of the
coach going on again, by which he knew the job was over on that side.
Then he carried him a little out of the way, tied his hands behind him,
and bade him lie still and make no noise, and he would come back in
half-an-hour and untie him, upon his word; but if he cried out, he
would come back and kill him.
The poor man promised to lie still and make no noise, and did so; and
had not above 11s. 6d. in his pocket, which Will took, and came back to
the rest; but while they were together, I, who was on the side of the
Pindar of Wakefield, cried, “Mark, ho!” too.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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