The literary use of "waylay" across these texts emphasizes its connotation of ambushing or intercepting someone, often with nefarious intent. In Mark Twain’s work [1] and Jules Verne’s narrative [2], characters face the threat of being unexpectedly attacked or robbed, underscoring a sense of lurking danger. François Rabelais [3] and Charles Dickens [4] employ the word to evoke images of cunning premeditation, where individuals are not merely intercepted but trapped through sly design, much like setting a snare for game. H. G. Wells [5] and Goethe [6] further the notion of vulnerability, suggesting that even a brief pause in one’s journey might expose one to unforeseen perils. Together, these examples illustrate how "waylay" is imbued with an atmosphere of stealth and betrayal in literature.