been robbing passengers all day. They thought they had a good prize in Tom, who was all alone, and made cocksure of his money.
"Stand and deliver!" said they.
"What should I deliver?" said Tom.
"Your money, sirrah," said they.
"You shall give me better words for it first," said Tom.
"Come, come, no more prating; money we want, and money we'll have before you stir."
"Is it so?" said Tom; "nay, then come and take it."
The long and the short of it was that Tom killed two of the rogues, and grievously wounded the other two, and took all their money, which was as much as two hundred pounds. And when he came home he made his old mother laugh with the story of how he served the football players and the four thieves.
But you shall see that Tom sometimes met his match. In wandering one day in the forest he met a lusty tinker that had a good staff on his shoulder, and a great dog to carry his bag and tools.
"Whence come you and whither are you going?" said Tom, "this is no highway."
"What's that to you?" said the tinker; "fools must needs be meddling."
"I'll make you know," said Tom, "before you and I part, what it is to me."
"Well," said the tinker, "I'm ready for a bout with any man, and I hear there is one Tom Hickathrift in the country of whom great things are told. I'd fain see him to have a turn with him."
"Ay," said Tom, "methinks he might be master with
