Our horses were kept saddled, too, with the bridles on their heads, and only the bits out of their mouths--we could have managed without the bits at a pinch--everything ready to be out of the house in one minute, and in saddle and off full-split the next.

We were learned that trick pretty well before things came to an end.
Besides that, Jonathan kept a good look-out, too, for strangers of the wrong sort.

It wasn't a bad place in that way.

There was a long stony track coming down to the house, and you could see a horseman or a carriage of any kind nearly a mile off.

Then, in the old times, the timber had been cleared pretty nigh all round the place, so there was no chance of any one sneaking up unknown to people.