“Halloa! You there!” I had not seen the second line of policemen until one focused his lantern on us, with the haar diffusing the light. “That's them!”
A second beam of lamp-light joined the first, flicking over us and back, to shine full in my face. Temporarily dazzled, I raised my hand to protect my eyes.
“We've got them! Stand still, you two, or it will go hard on you!”
“They've caught us!” I heard the despair in Matthew's voice, even as I gathered my strength ready to run.
“Not yet, Matthew.” Gripping his hand as tightly as I could, I tried to haul him upright. “Come on!”
I heard the thump of boots as the police marched towards us. “Come on, Matthew!”
A second later, the clatter of hooves and grind of wheels drowned out all other sounds as the closed coach raced across the docksi
