第99章

Itislikelyenoughthatgoodfolkwillthinkitharduponourneighbourhoodtobethreatened，andsometimesheavilypunished，forkindnessandhumanity；andyettobelefttohelpourselvesagainsttyranny，andbaserapine。Andnowatlastourgorgewasrisen，andourheartsintumult。Wehadborneourtroubleslong，asawiseandwholesomechastisement；quitecontenttohavesomefewthingsofourownunmeddledwith。Butwhatcouldamandaretocallhisown，orwhatrightcouldhehavetowishforit，whilehelefthiswifeandchildrenatthepleasureofanystranger？

Thepeoplecameflockingallaroundme，attheblacksmith’sforge，andtheBrendonalehouse；andI

couldscarcecomeoutofchurch，buttheygotmeamongthetombstones。TheyallagreedthatIwasboundtotakecommandandmanagement。Ibadethemgotothemagistrates，buttheysaidtheyhadbeentoooften。

ThenItoldthemthatIhadnowitsfororderingofanarmament，althoughIcouldfindfaultenoughwiththeonewhichhadnotsucceeded。Buttheywouldhearkentononeofthis。

Alltheysaidwas’Trytoleadus；andwewilltrynottorunaway。’

Thisseemedtometobecommonsense，andgoodstuff，insteadofmerebragging；moreover，ImyselfwasmovedbythebitterwrongsofMargery，havingknownherattheSunday-school，ereeverIwenttoTiverton；andhavinginthosedays，seriousthoughtsofmakinghermysweetheart；althoughshewasthreeyearsmyelder。ButnowIfeltthisdifficulty——theDooneshadbehavedverywelltoourfarm，andtomother，andallofus，whileI

wasawayinLondon。Therefore，woulditnotbeshabby，andmean，formetoattackthemnow？

Yetbeingpressedstillharderandharder，asdaybydaytheexcitementgrew(withmoreandmoretalkingoverit，andnooneelsecomingforwardtoundertakethebusiness，Iagreedatlasttothis；thatiftheDoones，uponfairchallenge，wouldnotendeavourtomakeamendsbygivingupMistressMargery，aswellasthemanwhohadslainthebabe，thenIwouldleadtheexpedition，anddomybesttosubduethem。Allourmenwerecontentwiththis，beingthoroughlywellassuredfromexperience，thatthehaughtyrobberswouldonlyshootanymanwhodurstapproachthemwithsuchproposal。

Andthenaroseadifficultquestion——whowastotaketheriskofmakingoverturessounpleasant？Iwaitedfortheresttooffer；andasnonewasready，theburdenfellonme，andseemedtobeofmyowninviting。

HenceIundertookthetask，soonerthanreasonaboutit；fortogivethecauseofeverythingisworsethantogothroughwithit。

Itmayhavebeenthreeoftheafternoon，whenleavingmywitnessesbehind(fortheypreferredthebackground)

IappearedwithourLizzie’swhitehandkerchiefuponakidney-beanstick，attheentrancetotherobbers’

dwelling。Scarceknowingwhatmightcomeofit，IhadtakenthewiseprecautionoffasteningaBibleovermyheart，andanotheracrossmyspinalcolumn，incaseofhavingtorunaway，withrudemenshootingafterme。

FormymothersaidthattheWordofGodwouldstopatwo-inchbullet，withthreeouncesofpowderbehindit。

NowItooknoweapons，savethoseoftheSpirit，forfearofbeingmisunderstood。ButIcouldnotbringmyselftothinkthatanyofhonourablebirthwouldtakeadvantageofanunarmedmancominginguiseofpeacetothem。

Andthisconclusionofmineheldgood，atleastforacertainlengthoftime；inasmuchastwodecentDoonesappeared，andhearingofmypurpose，offered，withoutviolence，togoandfetchtheCaptain；ifIwouldstopwhereIwas，andnotbegintospyaboutanything。Tothis，ofcourse，Iagreedatonce；forIwantednomorespying，becauseIhadthoroughknowledgeofallinsandoutsalready。Therefore，Istoodwaitingsteadily，withonehandinmypocketfeelingasampleofcornformarket；andtheotheragainsttherock，whileI

wonderedtoseeitsobrownalready。

Thosemencamebackinalittlewhile，withasharpshortmessagethatCaptainCarverwouldcomeoutandspeaktomeby-and-by，whenhispipewasfinished。

Accordingly，Iwaitedlong，andwetalkedaboutthesignsofbloomforthecomingappleseason，andtherainthathadfallenlastWednesdaynight，andtheprincipaldearthofDevonshire，thatitwillnotgrowmanycowslips——whichwequiteagreedtobetheprettiestofspringflowers；andallthetimeIwaswonderinghowmanyblackanddeadlydeedsthesetwoinnocentyouthshadcommitted，evensincelastChristm