“Could not be better, Harry, though I did not find out where he puts up in London.  However, that is of small consequence.  In the first place, I found out that our suspicions were right, and that the fellow is a highwayman, and seems to be captain of a gang consisting anyhow of three, and perhaps of more, fellows like himself.  In the second place, he intends, with his three comrades, to attack the coach on Friday week, two or three miles out of town.  Nothing could better suit our purpose, even if we had planned the affair ourselves.  Of course, we will be there.  If we can capture him while engaged in that work, we can get anything out of him.  He has either got to confess or be hanged.”

“That is a stroke of good luck, indeed,” Harry exclaimed.  “It will be rather difficult to manage, though.  The fellows will be sure to be masked; and, if we were to shoot him instead of one of the others, it would be fatal.”

“Yes, that would be awkward.  Besides,” Charlie said, “even if we did recognize him and shot his horse, he might jump up behind one of the other men, or might make off across the country, and we might lose sight of him before we could get down from the top of the coach to pursue.”

“It might be better if we were mounted, instead of being on the coach.”

“Better in some ways, Harry; but if they heard two mounted men coming along beside the coach, they would probably take the alarm and not attack at all; while, if we were to keep a bit behind, and ride up as soon as we heard the firing—­for they generally shoot one of the horses to bring the coach to a standstill—­they might ride off as soon as they heard the sound of the horses on the road.  Those fellows are splendidly mounted.  Their lives depend upon it, and nothing we should be able to hire would be likely to have a chance with them.”

“Well, we shall have plenty of time to think this over, Charlie.  I suppose we shall carry out our plan tomorrow, as we arranged.”

“Certainly.  It is as important to find out where he lives in London as it was before, for if he gets away, we can then look him up there.  We may as well go to bed at once, for I shall start at four, so as to get to town before him, however early he may be off.  But as we know, now, he is going up on pleasure and not on business, I don’t suppose he will be in any hurry in the morning.”

Charlie arrived in town about eight o’clock, and, having breakfasted at the first tavern he came to, walked along for some distance, to decide upon the spot where he should take up his position.  As Nicholson was going up, as he said, to enjoy himself, it was not likely that he would put up at Islington, but would take up his quarters in the centre of the town.  He therefore decided to walk on, until he came to some junction of important roads; and there wait, as the man might make either for the city or Westminster, though the latter appeared the more probable direction.