He was requested by one of his conductors to sit on a bench. Two of the band left the room, and the others sat near the entrance, and engaged in a whispering conversation. Ned was then left to his own reflections, which were not of a tranquillising nature. Nearly half an hour had elapsed when the two men mentioned above reappeared bearing lighted torches and an order from the captain to see the prisoner. Young Ned Warbeck was now fully aware that he was in a cave of robbers, and he made up his mind for the worst, and marched boldly at the summons of one who seemed to be the leader of the band. They proceeded, at a quick pace, through numerous vaulted arches, similar to which Ned had been confined in, and they were soon in the presence of the captain. He was seated at a table with a bundle of papers in his left hand, and a sword in his right. His dress was the same as that of his followers. What distinguished him from the rest was a pair of long moustachios in addition to the beard, and a yellow band round his waist His dark glaring eyes were fixed for a moment on the countenance of the young and handsome prisoner, who was leisurely surveying all around him. “Unloose this young man,” said the captain, “and stand aside.” Ned was immediately released from his bonds, and his guards took their places silently behind him. The captain spent a few minutes in conference with some of his associates. During this time young Ned had the leisure to perceive that he was mistaken in his conjectures respecting those whom he had taken for robbers; though not of a very different avocation, they could not literally be entitled to that appellation. They were (as he plainly saw by the dye, which at first had escaped his enquiring eyes, and by the heaps of blanks all ready for impression), a set of men who defraud the revenue by circulating, to the detriment of the Mint, immense quantities of base coin—in fact, they were Coiners. He knew not whether he had any right to be satisfied with the change; for, thought he, a robber will take your life rather than be detected, so would a coiner, rather than have his lawless proceedings come to light, have recourse to any means; but then, would they have forced him, as it were, to be an eye-witness of their crimes for the sole purpose of murdering him in cold blood? These were his thoughts, which were diverted by an appeal from the captain—to answer his purposes. “Who are you? What are you? and whence do you come?” asked the captain. “My name is Warbeck. I am an officer in the king’s navy, and have come from Plymouth.” “Well answered. Now, what brought you here?” Ned Warbeck, in a few words, stated the circumstances above mentioned.