Taylor found that she couldn’t stay put, her curiosity overpowering her sense of fear.

She crept up to the edge of the bank, and tried to peer through the dark to see the road up to the door of the Nightingale Inn. She had barely found something where she was comfortable that she was almost out of sight, when the strangers began to arrive.

Seven or eight men, running hard. Their feet beating out a steady time along the road, with another man leading them with a lantern. Three men ran together, hand in hand, and even through the departing mist, Taylor could see that the one in the middle was the blind beggar.

As he arrived, his voice let her know that she was right. “Down with the door!”

“Aye, aye, sir!”

Taylor saw two men rush for the door, and then gave a small smirk as the men stumbled around in confusion, having the door open immediately to them, left unlocked.

The pause, however, was brief. The blind man issued commands with a voice of rage. “In! In, you fools!”

Two of the strangers stayed with the beggar on the road, as the others went in quickly. There was a brief pause, and then one dashed back to the door, “Bill’s dead!”

“Search him, you fucking lubbers! The rest of you, get the chest!” The blind man showed no mercy.

Even from her position, Taylor could hear the feet thumping away at the stairs. They must have been heavy enough footfalls to shake the very walls. Almost instantly followed by the sound of glass breaking.

A head poked out of a broken window, and shouted to the men below, “Pew! Someone’s been here before us. Turned the chest out!”

“Is it there!?”

“The money’s gone.”

The blind man waved his hands, “Fuck the fucking money! Is Flint’s fist there, you daft bastard!?”

“We don’t see it here, nohow.”

“Shit.” The blind man cursed, and looked towards the door, “Oi! You there! Is it on Bill?”

“Bill’s been overhauled. Nothin’ left keepin’.”

The blind man paced for a minute, before speaking loudly. “It’s the gal. It’s the damned gal! I should have put her eyes out and sewed her below shut! Door were bolted. She mustn’t be far. Scatter, lads! Find the bastard!”

The noise from the inn became a cacophony of chaos. Of furniture tossed, doors kicked in, as the men searched Taylor’s home thoroughly. Just as she was considering whether she should run, she heard a whistle cut through the air twice.

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“There’s Dirk.” Said one of the men, “We’ll have to move.”

“No, you skulk!” Pew cried, “Dirk’s a fool and a coward, first. Don’t mind him, find the fucking girl! She can’t be far. If I had eyes, you lot would be roaring in the flames!”

The threat seemed to have the intended effect. Two of the strangers moved to the outside of the inn, looking here and there among the lumber, albeit a little desperately. Nought but a snake might hide there.

Pew turned his rage to the rest of the little gang, “You’d be rich as kings if you could find it, and you know it’s here, and you stand there skulking! There wasn’t one o’ you louts brave enough to face Bill, leaving it for the blind man to do a man’s job!”

“Hang it, Pew.” One of them complained, “They might have hid the blessed thing.”

Pew’s response was to lift his stick and to blindly strike at the men. The sound of wood slapping onto flesh echoing across the distance to Taylor.

They tried to grab at the stick, and tear it from his grasp, as the whole lot of them cursed each other back and forth.

As they quarrelled, another sound came from the top of the hill, on the side of the hamlet. The tramp of horses galloping, and then almost at the same time came the flash and echoing thunder of a pistol firing.

Instantly, the buccaneers turned and ran. Separating in every direction. One toward the cove, another across the hill. Within half a minute all were gone but Pew. Deserted in panic, or for his aggressive nature, but scattered they were.

Pew called out to his comrades once or twice, “Johnny! Black Dog! Don’t leave old Pew!”

Just then, the horses topped the rise. Four or five riders coming into the fullness of the moonlight, and sweeping down the slope in full gallop. Pew turned with a scream, running for the ditch at the side of the road.

As he did, the horses came down, and down went Pew with a curdling scream. Trampled beneath the riders, before rolling and attempting to stand before collapsing again.

Taylor moved to her feet, and hailed the riders.

They were already pulling to a stop, horrified at the accident, and gathering around the fallen beggar. One rider, tailing behind the others, was the lad that had gone from the hamlet, to the house of Dr. Livesey.

The rest were revenue officers, who the boy had met on his way, and had the thought to call upon for help. The officers had heard of strangers upon the road, and set out, before the boy relayed Taylor’s circumstances.

Pew was dead.

The revenue officers split in two, some of the party heading off to try and catch those that had run. The supervisor leading them into the night. When he returned, he found Taylor sitting inside the Nightingale.

Inspector Dance spoke to her, taking note of everything that had happened, from beginning to end, from the time of the Captain’s arrival, until just a few moments ago.

“Well, Hawkins, you think it was the gold that they were after?”

“No sir.” She shook her head, “Not money, I think. In fact, thinking on it, I believe I have the thing right here, and would like to put it to safety.”

“Quite right.” Dance nodded, “I can take it, if you like.”

“I thought… Perhaps Dr. Livesey…”

Dance smiled at her, “Perfectly fine. Perfectly right. A gentleman, and a magistrate. Now that I come to think of it, I might as well ride round there, and report to him or squire. Master Pew is dead, when all’s done. There’s official things to be doing, even for such a low one as that. You may as well come along.”

The two headed outside, where the other officers were already saddled up.

“Dogger. Take this lad.” Dance instructed.

Taylor felt her belt tug as the indicated officer grabbed her, putting her up and in front of him. The man gave a small grunt of surprise as she settled onto the horse, and widened his arms a little, away from the sides of her chest.

She looked at him pleadingly, and he gave a slight nod, agreeing to keep her secret.

Dance mounted in a single smooth motion and waved a hand to gather his officers, before the party set out at a trot on the road towards Dr. Livesey’s house.

The Nightingale shrank into the distance behind her, as Taylor bounced up and down on the horse.