All this time I had been silent, because I had been deep in reflection upon Forister. Now I said: "Forister, you are a great rogue. I know you. One thing is certain. You have not my papers and never did you have them." He looked upon me with some admiration and cried: "Aye, the cannibal shows a glimmer of reason. No, I have not your foolish papers, and I only wish I had them in order to hurl the bundle at your damned stupid head." "For a kicked man you have a gay spirit," I replied. "But at any rate I have no time for you now. I am off to Bristol after my papers, and I only wish for the sake of ease that I had to go no farther than this chamber. Come, Paddy! Come, Jem!" My two henchmen were manifestly disappointed; they turned reluctantly at my word. "Have I the leave of one crack at him, your honour?" whispered Paddy earnestly. "He said my head was a lantern." "No," said I, "leave him to his meditations." As we passed down the corridor we heard him laugh loudly, and he called out to me,-- "When I come to Bristol I will kill you." I had more than a mind to go back and stuff this threat into his throat, but I better knew my business, which was to recover the papers. "Come," said I, and we passed down stairs. The people of the inn made way for Paddy as if he had been a falling tree, and at the same time they worshipped Jem Bottles for having performed everything. I had some wonder as to which would be able to out-strut the other. I think Jem Bottles won the match, for he had the advantage of being known as one of the most dangerous men in southwestern England, whereas Paddy had only his vanity to help him. "'Tis all arranged," said Bottles pompously. "Your devil will come forth as quiet as a rabbit." We ordered our horses, and a small crowd of obsequious stable-boys rushed to fetch them. I marvelled when I saw them lead out Paddy's horse. I had thought from what I perceived over my shoulder when I left Bristol that he would never be able to make half a league in the saddle. Amid the flicker of lanterns, Bottles and I mounted and then I heard Paddy calling to him all the stable-boys: "Now, when I give the word, you heave for your lives. Stand, you beast! Cannot four of you hold him by the legs? I will be giving the word in a moment. Are you all ready? Well, now, ready again--heave!" There was a short scuffle in the darkness, and presently Paddy appeared above the heads of the others in the _melee_. "There, now," said he to them, "that was well done. One would easily be telling that I was an ex-trooper of the king." He rode out to us complacently. "'Tis a good horse, if only he steered with a tiller instead of these straps," he remarked, "and he goes well before the wind." "To Bristol," said I. "Paddy, you must follow as best you may. I have no time to be watching you, although you are interesting."