"Well, Crotchet," said Sir Richard, "I have just seen the Secretary of
State, and if we catch Todd, you are to have all the money." "All on it, sir? Oh, my eye! No, I doesn't want all on it, Sir Richard. I isn't a pig." "I never thought you were, Crotchet; but you may make up your mind to
the whole of the reward, as the government will provide for me in
another way; so you know now, at starting, what you have to expect, and
it will keep you in good heart during all the botheration we may have in
looking after this man." "Why, so it will, sir, you see, so it will, and if I do catch him and
get all this tin as is offered as a reward for him, I shall retire from
the grabbing business, you see, sir." "What will you do then, Crotchet?" "Set up a public-house, sir, and call it 'The Crotchet's Arms,' to be
sure. That's the sort of ticket for me." "Well, Crotchet, you will be quite at liberty to do what you like; and
now let us at once start on our errand. We will, from the door of
Newgate, see if we cannot trace the progress of this man, with his new
friend, that rascal, Lupin." A tap sounded on the panel of the door of the room in which Crotchet and
Sir Richard were conversing. "Come in," said the magistrate, and his clerk entered with a written
paper in his hand. "Here, sir," he said, "is a report from a city officer, which will give
a clue to the route that Todd and Lupin have taken, sir." "Ah, that is welcome. Let me see it. 'Two men broke into the house of
Alderman Stanhope; one a tall man with a large face--the other,
shorter.' Humph! Not a doubt of it. I will go and see about it. No doubt
it was Todd and his new friend Lupin. This is something of a clue, at
all events however slight, and may, after all, put us upon the right
track. Come on, Crotchet, we will do the best we can in this matter. Have you your pistols in good order?" "Yes, yer honour, and a pair of darbies in my pocket, that if once they
get on the wrists of old Todd, he will find it no such easy matter to
get them off again." "That is right. I only want to get face to face with the ruffian, and
then I will engage that he shall not be much further trouble to society
or to individuals." Sir Richard Blunt and Crotchet proceeded then at once to the house in
the City, into which Lupin and Todd, it will be recollected, had made a
violent entry, and from which they had been so gallantly repulsed by the
young lady. Then, from the description of the assailants, not a shadow
of a doubt remained upon the magistrate's mind that they were the
parties he sought; but there all clue seemed to be lost. He and Crotchet stood in the street looking about them rather
despairingly; and then they thought of going to the round-house close to
Finsbury; and when they got there, they found an officer, who reported
that two men answering the description of the fugitives had been seen
making their way westward; and he had met a woman who had passed them,
and who had heard the words "money," and "Caen Wood." This was, in good truth, most important intelligence, if it could be
relied upon; and that was the only kind of doubt that Sir Richard had. He spoke to Crotchet about it. "What do you think, Crotchet? Is it worth while to follow this seeming
clue to Highgate?" "Yes, yer honour, it is. We can go there and back again while we are
considering about it here. It's clear enough as we shan't get any other
news in this part of the town; and so I advises that we go off at once
to Highgate, and calls at every public-house on the road." "Every public-house?" "Yes, yer honour. Todd won't do without his drops of something strong to
keep him a-going. These kind of feelings go down--down, till they
haven't the heart to say don't, when the hangman puts the noose round
their necks, if they haven't their drops. It's brandy, yer worship, as
keeps 'em a going." "I do believe, Crotchet, that there is a great deal of truth in what you
say; and that it is only by use of stimulants that they keep up a kind
of artificial strength, as well as drowning reflection; and so they go
blundering on in the career of crime." "You may depend upon it, sir. They'd cut their own throats in a week, If
it wasn't for the tipple, yer honour." Acting then upon the practical advice of Crotchet, which in a great
measure accorded with his own convictions, Sir Richard Blunt repaired to
a livery-stable, and hired two good horses. He found no difficulty in
getting them, upon declaring who he was; and so, well mounted, he and
Crotchet went upon the very road that had been so recently traversed by
the two culprits, Todd and Lupin. At the first public-house they came to they got no news; but at the
second they were told, that two men, answering the description they gave
of those they sought, had called and had some brandy. The magistrate no longer doubted but that he was upon the right track
now. With such a feeling, he pushed on, making what inquiries he could
on the road; but until Highgate was reached they got no further news,
and then, by dint of diligent ferreting out, they found a woman who had
seen two men go down Swains Lane, and from the description she gave of
them, there could be no doubt but that they were Todd and Lupin. Now as
Swains Lane led direct to Caen Wood, it was a great confirmation of the
former intelligence; and Sir Richard made up his mind to search the
wood, as well as it could be done by him and Crotchet. They engaged a lad from Highgate to come with them, and to take care of
the horses, while they should go into the wood; but they did not say one
word to him regarding their object in going there, nor could he possibly
suspect it. Sir Richard and Crotchet both thought it would be much more
prudent to keep that to themselves, than to put it in the power of a boy
to gossip about it to every one who might chance to pass that way, while
he was minding the horses. When the wood was reached, Sir Richard said to the lad--

"Now, my boy, we shall not be very long gone, but you will bear in mind
that if we are absent longer than you expected, you will be paid in
proportion; so don't be impatient, but walk the horses up and down this
bit of the lane; and think that you have got a very good job." "Thank you, sir," said the boy. "Across that there meadow is the nearest
way to the wood. I seed two fellows go that way, early this morning, and
one on 'em was the ugliest fellow I ever saw, and he calls out to the
other--'Come along Lupin, we shall be all right in the wood now. Come
along, Lupin--Ha! ha!'" "You heard that?" "Yes, sir, I did. You see, I was sloe-gathering in the hedge, and they
don't let you do it, cos they say you breaks down all the young twigs,
and spoils the hedge, and so you does; and so, sir, when I heard
footsteps a-coming, I hid myself right down among the long grass, so
that they did not see me." Mr. Crotchet gave a long whistle. "Very good," said Sir Richard; "we shall be back with you soon. You take
good care of the horses." "I will, sir."