What Happened to Mr. Jones in His Journey to Saint Albans
- They are two miles past Barnet when a man comes riding up on a really run-down horse.
- He says that it's late and he is a stranger to the area.
- Can he ride with Tom and Partridge?
- Tom, of course, says yes.
- The three men start talking about robbery.
- Tom says he doesn't really care if he's robbed—it's not like he has anything of value.
- Partridge contradicts him: he does have that hundred-pound note! (OMG, Partridge, are you doing?!)
- Of course, their new traveling companion suddenly pulls out a gun.
- He wants that hundred-pound note.
- Tom tells the highwayman that he can have everything in his pocket: three guineas.
- The highwayman refuses to accept so little.
- Tom says well then, punk, you'll have to kill me.
- The highwayman holds his gun to Tom's chest.
- Tom grabs his arm and wrestles the guy to the ground.
- The highwayman begs for mercy.
- The gun isn't even loaded, he's never done this before, and the only reason he's turned to robbery now is because he has five starving kids with a sixth on the way.
- The highwayman promises to take Tom back to his house if he doesn't believe him.
- Tom chooses to believe the highwayman, since it turns out his gun is unloaded.
- He returns the man's gun to him and gives him a couple of guineas.
- The man swears he'll never do it again.
- Tom and Partridge talk over whether the death penalty is justified in robbery cases.
- (Tom says no, Partridge, yes.)
- Tom reminds Partridge subtly that he had just been planning to steal some of Sophia's money in the previous chapter.
- That shuts Partridge up for a while.