“I have managed it, your honour, but it will cost twelve louis.  I went to the man from whom I got the saws, and he said at once that the affair could be managed easily, and, sure enough, he took me to the shop of a man who, he said, sometimes acted with cracksmen.  The fellow was sharp enough to see, at once, that it was something special that we wanted the horses for, but after some bargaining he agreed to do it for twelve gold pieces, and, if necessary, to get a change of horses twice on the road.  He will be ready with his cart at twelve o’clock, a hundred yards or so outside the last houses on the south side of the Old Kent Road.  I could not tell him which port you would go to, but he said from there he could go to Dover, or turn off so as to make for Southampton or Weymouth.  It is to be twelve pounds if it is to Dover or Southampton; fifteen pounds if it is to Weymouth.”

“That is satisfactory,” Desmond said.  “Now we have nothing else to do till ten o’clock tonight, when, as the boy said, the council generally ends; though we will be there an hour earlier, in case they should leave before.  Now I think we had better find out where Godolphin’s house is, and fix upon the best spot for the attack, and how we shall each station ourselves.”

This part of the business offered no difficulties.  They found that the minister would probably be carried through Saint James’s Park, and they fixed upon the spot where they would await his coming.

Mike was to attack the first porter.  O’Sullivan was to follow close behind him and, at the same moment, fell the rearmost man.  O’Neil and Desmond, who were to conceal themselves among trees on opposite sides of the path, were to spring out and strike down the link bearers, and then enter the chair and bind and gag the minister.

Mike was sent out to buy a pot of black paint, with which to efface the gildings of the chair, and to reduce its appearance to that ordinarily used by the citizens.  He was ordered to get a supply of rope, and some wood, to make gags for the men they were to stun.

The others were to post themselves at the spot agreed on, while Desmond was to remain at the entrance to the palace by which ministers would issue, to note Lord Godolphin’s chair, and, when he was fairly on his way, to follow it for a short distance to make sure that it was being taken through the park, and then to run on and warn the others to be in readiness.

On their return to their lodging, they ate the dinner that Mike had got in for them, and, as they drank their wine, laughed and joked over their enterprise; for, now that they were fairly embarked upon the scheme, the two officers were as eager as Desmond in the matter, and were much more excited over the prospect than he was.

Before nine o’clock, they and Mike were posted in the park, and Desmond was at the entrance to the palace.  Here seven or eight chairs, with their bearers and link men, were assembled.  As most of the porters were hired men, Desmond readily entered into conversation with them, and expressed his desire to see the great persons and learn which were their chairs, so that he should know them as they entered them.