Noyes continues to establish the highwayman as a creature of the night: not only does the highwayman intend to return to Bess before daybreak, but his greatest concern is being pursued “through the day.” Notice the recurrence of the phrase “by moonlight” in the last three lines of the stanza.

Why does the highwayman return to the inn?

The poem details the love affair going on between the highwayman and the landlord's daughter Bess. Their love is pure and strong. He rides into the inn in the middle of the night to tell her that he's going robbing and will come back the next day no matter what.

What does the highwayman do when he hears Bess warning?

According to his own report, Alfred Noyes wrote “The Highwayman” over a two-day period in 1904 when he was 24 years old. ... When Bess hears the highwayman approaching, she warns him by shooting herself; he hears the gunshot and escapes. The soldiers pursue him, however, and he, too, is killed.