KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1927, Page 23

KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD.

'[Tl£ WOMAN HIGHWAYMAN. 4AKO HER ADVENTURES WITH V THOMAS RUMBOLD. (By ELIZABETH Y3LLIERS.) y XII. In all the annals of highway robbery there is practically no detailed mention of women highwaymen, probably rior the /reason that the dress women woir.- during •the century and a-half during Vnich the iKuight of the Road flourished.' did not lend itself to athletic exercise,' When a •y/onian rode it was on a pillion, as a rule, ,a chair strapped on the crtripper of a vieavy draught horse, who c.Vried double, ■trT it she were daring enougfi to use the side saddle and manage her horse alone, she was handicapped by *.ae extraordinary length and weight oL : her habit, and the fact that those sidles had only two pummels, forming a,'crutch. She had Jno grip and was easily/ unseated by the least stumble of her meant.

The Newgate calen<> ir contains a namIber of female name?.' of course, approximately as many wrj-.ien as men died at Tyburn and the ot'jf r places of execution, •Hud in Johnson's 'Fuives of the Highwaymen" are includqfl "The German Princess" and "Nan.' Hertford," but they -were not highway women—if the word maybe coined—~(/nly adventuresses whose stories may he boid in a later series. To their class belong "The Witch" and "Jenr.y Diver," a very real character, though immortalised by the "Beggar's Oper a" and • many another law-breaking female, but it was in the streets of the cities, not,on the broad highways these d Tried mil, their nefarious trade.

However, here is a story Johnson tells ithat is worth repeating, only as he gives .neither 'names nor dates verification is tampossihle.

Thoavas Rumbold, highwayman and Adventurer, was riding along a very -lonely road on his way towards -tondon as he passed a small coppice bertweefn two hills, a well-mounted young Van— as it seemed—darted from the shadow, and placing his horse across the rond in truly professional manner, called tc the traveller to "Stand and deliver."

1 Rumbold did not retort with the phrase King had used in like circumstances; onstead, he pretended he was fumbling in .his pockets for his money and in doing so .drew a pistol and fired at the robber, effect.

"If you are for sport you shall have •t," cried the other, and drawing a pistol also, fired and wounded Rumbold slightly in the leg. The fact that they must have been at close quarters yet did so little iarm is a commentary on the pistols of /the times. Before Rumbold could recover flimself' the stranger had cut the reins of lis horse, and in its teiyor it started at a •gallop, but Rumbold turned in the saddle ,and emptied his sec6nd pistol at the stranger. This time the shot went home, •aot at the rider, but/the hor9e fell dead, a little later Rumbold "dismounted" *—which seems to be I a polite way of saying he had been flung from his saddle. He was not hurt,; however, so drawing lis sword, ran back to where the other xobber was the dead horse, and they fought, "Rumbold proving the better fencer the, other stumbled and fell fainting. Rather < surprised, Rumbold tore jaway the coat}, intent on rifling the ■jpockets, and tty:n, as the stranger's eyes .opened and a .*very feminine exclamation iell on his eaus, he made the remarkable discovery thai the "young man" was an extremely pretty woman. The account of Rumbold's career is _ to stories of his gallantry ■with whay the old writers called '"the fair sex" so ie rose to the occasion and made himself .feo~agreeable to the fainting lady -that r/resently she invited him to her aame > accepted readi-y, on which she led ■*ithe , "way into the coppice, and passing Iby naiTow, twisting paths between the •trees, reached a very lonely house, so f secluded that "the sun ha I not shone on \it since the Deluge." However, it con"tained elegantly furnished rooms,, in one of ; which a very excellent meal was set before the unexpected guest, and there yfaen they had eaten and drunk she told 1/im her story.

She _was the daughter of a "sword cuttle r," it appeared, and from her infancy '"the weapons in her father's shop had exercised fascination for her. "I could never Jbear to be among the utensils of the kitchen, but was constantly in my father's ishop and took wonderful delight in handSing the warlike instruments he made. To Ttake a sharp, well-mounted sword in my land and brandish it was my chief recreation." One day a gentleman came into the shop •nd by his "postures" she decided he was a feneing master. Daring greatly she followed him into the street and there over- , taking him begged him to give her lessons ill swordsmanship without telling her parents. The request was astonishing from a girl '•of tMrelve, but the master agreed, and after ■that she slipped from her home to visit lis house again and again till she "became mo expert' at backsword and single rapier /that I no longer required his assistance, And my parents never once discovered the transaction."

While still very young, she was married an innkeeper with whom she began to Quarrel on their wedding day. He was a /rough man, and worse still from her point of view, he was extremely mean, and as '•he rather unpleasantly put it she "thought- in inconsistent that a dunghill Cock should crow over a game hen."

' Perhaps as much from love of adventure •b because her miserly husband kept her short of money, she decided to take to the road and obtained a suit of men's clothing and a good horse, and as lady of ''the inn it was easy for her to discover "what • travellers were well supplied with money, and those who were not. It was her custom to let those she marked for her prey start on their journey, when she, in. pier neat printed gown would stand at the; •door curtesying her farewells. As sooa <as they had gone she darted to this hou;|e in . the wood where she kept her disguifi:, donned it, mounted her horse <3ind 'nfSis across country ready to commit her robbery some distance from her home. / Market days were the ones on which mhe carried out the most daring of her plains, since then it was easy to make an erittuse for her absence from home. Thus sUe led a double life, once, so she boasted, a-itually robbing her own husband on a dar'i night when he was returning with a pjhrse of guineas. j So eloquently did the lady talk; that it grew late and finally she confessed, herself tired, on which it was decided they should postpone the end of her recital /until the morning, Rumbold assuring her that _h6 was looking forward' to hearing, more with great eagerness. I • Apparently some change /had taken place in her, arrangements, slue must' have left her husband to make her /regular home ,in the lonely house, for tb ere she was staying that night. Unfortunately for the romance of the affair, Rumbold had seen 'the beauty of the gold and brooch that she wore, and his cupidity , conquered curiosity ooncerning her ■tory. . > j Once again that very / absurd proverb that there is honour amongst thieves was contradicted. In dead of night Rumbold, her guest to whom _ she / had given hospitality and trusted .-with Tier .story, crept to the; room where she slcjpt, helped himself . to her money and jewe/s and_ was off and , away before morning bjjoke, riding a horse he had found in her tir-ible. Unfortunately no other record of that • extraordinary woman 7 remains. As for Rumbold, Ivj was. such a mean scamp it is almost /"pleasant- to have to record he was arrest jed for the robbery of i a goldsmith in Lor ibard Street and duly executed at Tybum. NEXT WEEK: "SPRING-HEELED JACK." SHE MYSTERY WHICH WAS NEVER '* ——— |