William Fleetwood, famed for his rigorous prosecution of highwaymen, was once waylaid by a gang bent on revenge near the gallows at Tyburn. Fleetwood's assailants bound his servants, tied his hands behind his back, and -- leading his horse beneath the gallows -- secured a rope around his neck and left him to the mercy of his steed.

Obedient to his master's desperate pleas ("Whoa! Whoa!"), the horse stood stock still until a passerby had rescued him from danger.