“That is likely to be the man,” Tony said.  “It is about the hour we expected him.”

He blew out the candle and opened the door quietly, and they went out into the passage.  A moment later the step stopped at the door, the latch clicked, and it was opened.  A man entered, and closed the door behind him.  As he did so Charlie, who had marked his exact position, made a step forward and threw his arms round him.

The man gave an exclamation of surprise and alarm, and then struggled fiercely, but he was in the hands of one far stronger than himself.  A moment later, he felt that his assailant was not alone, for he was grasped by the throat, and at the same time he felt something cold close round his wrists.  There was a sharp click, and he knew that he was handcuffed.

Then a low voice said, “I arrest you, in the name of the queen, for being concerned in the robbery of the Portsmouth coach at Dorking.”

Then a gag was forced between his teeth.  Bewildered at the suddenness of the attack, he ceased to struggle, and remained quiet, in the grasp of his captors, till there was the sound of the striking of flint and steel hard by.  Then Tony came out of the parlour with a lighted candle, the highwayman was lifted into the room, and the door was shut.

He then saw that his captors were three in number.  There were two young gentlemen, and a smaller man, who, as he looked at him, held out a badge, and showed that he was an officer of the law.  His pistols and sword were removed, then his pockets were searched, and two watches and three purses, with some rings and bracelets, were taken out and laid on the table.

“It came off, you see,” Tony said to Charlie.

“Well, Master Nicholson, to use one of your aliases, of which you have, no doubt, a score or more, you may consider yourself under arrest, not only for the robbery of the Portsmouth coach three weeks ago, but of the North coach last evening.”

The prisoner started.  It seemed impossible to him that that affair should be known yet, still less his connection with it.

“You know what that means?” Tony went on grimly.  “Tyburn.  Now I am going to make you a little safer still.  You have been a hard bird to catch, and we don’t mean to let you slip through our fingers again.”

So saying, he bound his arms closely to his side with a rope, and then, with a shorter piece, fastened his ankles securely together.

“Now I will fetch the cart.”

He had been gone but five minutes, when they heard a vehicle stop at the door.  The others lifted the highwayman by his shoulders and feet, carried him out, and laid him in the cart.  Tony closed the door quietly behind them, and then jumped up by the side of the driver, who at once started the horse at a brisk trot.  They crossed Westminster Bridge, and, after another ten minutes’ drive, stopped at a small house standing back from the road, in a garden of its own.