“None of what?” said I. “I asked you for a lift, but I have no idea of taking one by force.”
“Well, I’ve got to take care of the cart and ’orses, I have,” says he. “I don’t take up with no runagate vagabones, you see, else.”
“I ought to thank you for your touching confidence,” said I, approaching carelessly nearer as I spoke. “But I admit the road is solitary hereabouts, and no doubt an accident soon happens. Little fear of anything of the kind with you! I like you for it, like your prudence, like that pastoral shyness of disposition. But why not put it out of my power to hurt? Why not open the door and bestow me here in the box, or whatever you please to call it?” And I laid my hand demonstratively on the body of the cart.
He had been timorous before; but at this he seemed to lose the power of speech a moment, and stared at me in a perfect enthusiasm of fear.
“Why not?” I continued. “The idea is good. I should be safe in there if I were the monster Williams himself. The great thing is to have me under lock and key. For it does lock; it is locked now,” said I, trying the door. “À propos, what have you for a cargo? It must be precious.”
He found not a word to answer.
Rat-tat-tat, I went upon the door like a well-drilled footman. “Any one at home?” I said, and stooped to listen.
There came out of the interior a stifled sneeze, the first of an uncontrollable paroxysm; another followed immediately on the heels of it; and then the driver turned with an oath, laid the lash upon the horses with so much energy that they found their heels again, and the whole equipage fled down the road at a gallop.
At the first sound of the sneeze I had started back like a man shot. The next moment a great light broke on my mind, and I understood. Here was the secret of Fenn’s trade: this was how he forwarded the escape of prisoners, hawking them by night about the country in his covered cart. There had been Frenchmen close to me; he who had just sneezed was my countryman, my comrade, perhaps already my friend! I took to my heels in pursuit. “Hold hard!” I shouted. “Stop! It’s all right! Stop!” But the driver only turned a white face on me for a moment, and redoubled his efforts, bending forward, plying his whip and crying to his horses; these lay themselves down to the gallop and beat the highway with flying hoofs; and the cart bounded after them among the ruts and fled in a halo of rain and spattering mud. But a minute since, and it had been trundling along like a lame cow; and now it was off as though drawn by Apollo’s coursers. There is no telling what a man can do until you frighten him!