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last, so I did not doubt but I should be sent to Newgate, and then I took it for granted I must be hanged; for to go to Newgate, and to be hanged, were to me as things which necessarily followed one another.

But I had a sharp conflict to go through before it came to that part; and that was before the justice; where, when I was come, and the constable brought me in, the justice asked me my name; But hold, says he, young man; before I ask you your name, let me do you justice; you are not bound to answer till your accusers come; so, turning to the constable, he asked for his warrant.

Well, says the justice, you have brought this young man here by virtue of this warrant; is this young man the person for whom this warrant is granted?

Con. I believe so, and please your worship.

Just. Believe so! Why, are you not sure of it?

Con. An't please your worship, the people said so where I took him.

Just. It is a very particular kind of warrant; it is to apprehend a young man who goes by the name of Jack, but no surname, only that it is said, he is called Captain Jack, or some other such name. Now, young man, pray is your name Captain Jack? or are you usually called so?

I presently found that the men that took me knew nothing of me, and the constable had taken me up by hearsay; so I took heart, and told the justice, that I thought, with submission, that it was not the present question, what my name was, but what these men or any one else, had to lay to my charge; whether I was the person who the warrant empowered them to apprehend or no?

He smiled; 'Tis very true, young man, says he, it is very true; and on my word, if they have taken you up, and do not know you, and there is nobody to charge you, they will be mistaken, to their own damage.

Then I told his worship, I hoped I should not be obliged to tell my name till my accuser was brought to charge me, and then I should not conceal my name.

It is but reason, said his worship. Mr. Constable, turning to the officers, are you sure this is the person that is intended in your warrant? If you are not, you must fetch the person that accuses him, and on whose oath the warrant was

granted. They used many words to insinuate that I wa the person, and that I knew it well enough, and that I should be obliged to tell my name.

I insisted on the unreasonableness of it, and that I should not be obliged to accuse myself; and the justice told them in so many words, that he could not force me to it, that 1 might do it if I would, indeed; but you see, says the justice, he understood too well, to be imposed upon in that case. So that, in short, after an hour's debating before his worship, in which time I pleaded against four of them, the justice told them they must produce the accuser, or he must discharge me.

I was greatly encouraged at this, and argued with the more vigour for myself; at length the accuser was brought, fettered as he was, from the gaol, and glad I was when I saw him, and found that I knew him not; that is to say, that it was not one of the two rogues that I went out with that night that we robbed the poor old woman.

When the prisoner was brought into the room, he was set right against me.

Do you know this young man, says the justice?

No, sir, says the prisoner, I never saw him in my life. Hum! says the justice, did not you charge one that goes by the name of Jack, or Captain Jack, as concerned in the robbery and murder which you are in custody for?

Pris. Yes, an't please your worship, says the prisoner.
Just. And is this the man, or is he not?

Pris. This is not the man, sir; I never saw this man before.

Very good: Mr. Constable, says the justice, What must we do now?

I am surprised, says the constable; I was at such a house, naming the house, and this young man went by; the people cried out, There's Jack, that's your man, and these people ran after him, and apprehended him.

Well, says the justice, and have these people anything to say to him? can they prove that he is the person?

One said no, and the other said no; and, in short, they all said no. Why then, said the justice, what can be done? the young man must be discharged; and I must tell you, Mr. Constable, and you gentlemen, that have brought him hither,

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he may give you trouble if he thinks fit, for your being so rash. But look you, young man, says the justice, you have no great damage done you, and the constable, though he has been mistaken, had no ill design, but to be faithful to his office; I think you may pass it by.

I told his worship, I would readily pass it by at his direction; but I thought the constable and the rest could do no less than to go back to the place where they had insulted me, and declare publicly there that I was honourably acquitted, and that I was not the man. This his worship said was very reasonable, and the constable and his assistants promised to do it, and so we came all away good friends, and I was cleared with triumph.

NOTE. This was the time that, as I mentioned above, the justice talked to me, and told me I was born to better things, and that by my well managing of my own defence, he did not question but I had been well educated; and that he was sorry I should fall into such a misfortune as this, which he hoped however would be no dishonour to me, since I was so handsomely acquitted.

CHAPTER VI.

I VISIT WILL, MY TUTOR IN WICKEDNESS, IN NEWGATE-HE IS EXECUTED-CAPTAIN JACK PROPOSES TO ME TO FLY INTO SCOTLAND-I RETURN THE POOR OLD WOMAN THE MONEY I HAD FORMERLY ROBBED HER OF CAPTAIN JACK AND I SET OUT ON OUR JOURNEY NORTH-THE CAPTAIN'S ROGUERIES, AND VARIOUS ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD.

THOUGH his worship was mistaken in the matter of my education, yet it had this good effect upon me, that I resolved, if possible, I would learn to read and write, that I would not be such an uncapable creature, that I should not be able to read a warrant, and see whether I was the person to be apprehended or not.

But there was something more in all this than what I have taken notice of; for, in a word, it appeared plainly, that my brother Captain Jack, who had the forwardness to put it to me, whether I was among them or no? when in truth he was

there himself, had the only reason to be afraid to fly, at the same time that he advised me to shift for myself.

As this presently occurred to my thoughts, so I made it business to inquire and find him out, and to give him notice of it.

my

In the mean time, being now confident of my own safety, I had no more concern upon my mind about myself; but now I began to be anxious for poor Will, my master and tutor in wickedness, who was now fast by the heels in Newgate, while I was happily at liberty, and I wanted very much to go and see him, and accordingly did so.

I found him in a sad condition, loaden with heavy irons, and had himself no prospect or hope of escaping; he told me he should die, but bid me be easy; for, as it would do him no good to accuse me, who never was out with any of them but that once, so I might depend upon it, he would not bring me into the trouble; as for the rogue who had betrayed them all, he was not able to hurt me, for I might be satisfied he had never seen me in his life; but, Colonel Jack, says he, I will tell you who was with us, and that is, your brother the captain, and the villain has certainly named him; and, therefore, says he, if you can give him timely notice of it, do, that he make his escape.

may

He said a great many things to warn me of following the steps he had led me. I was far out, Jack, said he, when I told you, to be a notorious thief was to live like a gentleman. He chiefly discovered his concern that they had, as he feared, killed the gentleman's gardener, and that he in particular had given him a wound in the neck, of which he was afraid he would die.

He had a great sum of money in gold about him, being the same that I had carried back to him at the haystack; and he had concealed it so well, that those who took him had not found it, and he gave me the greatest part of it to carry to his mother, which I very honestly delivered, and came away with a heavy heart: nor did I ever see him since, for he was executed in about three weeks' time after, being condemned that very next sessions.

I had nothing to do now but to find the captain, who, though not without some trouble, I at last got news of, and told him the whole story, and how I had been taken up for

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him by mistake, and was come off, but that the warrant was still out for him, and very strict search after him; I say, telling him all this, he presently discovered by his surprise that he was guilty, and after a few words more, told me plainly it was all true, that he was in the robbery; and that he had the greatest part of the booty in keeping, but what to do with it, or himself, he did not know; and wanted me to tell him, which I was very unfit to do, for I knew nothing of the world. Then he told me he had a mind to fly into Scotland, which was easy to be done, and asked me if I would go with him. I told him I would with all my heart, if I had money enough to bear the charge. He had the trade still in his eyes by his answer; I warrant you, says he, we will make the journey pay our charge. I dare not think of going any more upon the adventure, says I; besides, if we meet with any misfortune, out of our knowledge, we shall never get out of it, we shall be undone. Nay, says he, we shall find no mercy here, if they can catch us, and they can do no worse abroad; I am for venturing at all events.

Well, but captain, says I, have you husbanded your time so ill that you have no money to supply you in such a time as this? I have very little indeed, said he, for I have had bad luck lately. But he lied, for he had a great share of the booty they had got at their last adventure, as above; and, as the rest complained, he and Will had got almost all of it, and kept the rest out of their shares, which made them the willinger to discover them.

However it was, he owned he had about 227. in money, and something that would yield money; I suppose it was plate; but he would not tell me what it was, or where it was, but he said he durst not go to fetch it, for he should be betrayed and seized, so he would venture without it; sure, says he, we shall come back again some time or other.

I honestly produced all the money I had, which was 167. and some odd shillings. Now, says I, if we are good husbands, and travel frugally, this will carry us quite out of danger; for we had both been assured, that when we came out of England, we should be both safe, and nobody could hurt us, though they had known us; but we neither of us thought it was so many weary steps to Scotland as we found it.

I speak of myself as in the same circumstances of danger