e rascals who took them; but if not, we'll burn the house, and
have the heart's blood of every one in it,"--a threat which he repeated
more than once, graced by a fresh variety of imprecations, and the most
horrid denunciations that cruelty could suggest.

'"And which is your lieutenant?" said my father in reply.

'"That gentleman on the grey horse," said the miscreant, "with the red
handkerchief bound about his brow."

'"Then be pleased to tell that gentleman that, if he and the scoundrels
who are with him do not ride off the lawn this instant, I will fire upon
them without ceremony." So saying, my father shut the window and broke
short the conference.

'The fellow no sooner regained his troop than, with a loud hurra, or
rather a savage yell, they fired a volley against our garrison. The glass
of the windows was shattered in every direction, but the precautions
already noticed saved the party within from suffering. Three such volleys
were fired without a shot being returned from within. My father then
observed them getting hatchets and crows, probably to assail the
hall-door, and called aloud, "Let none fire but Hazlewood and me;
Hazlewood, mark the ambassador." He himself aimed at the man on the grey
horse, who fell on receiving his shot. Hazlewood was equally successful.
He shot the spokesman, who had dismounted and was advancing with an axe
in his hand. Their fall discouraged the rest, who began to turn round
their horses; and a few shots fired at them soon sent them off, bearing
along with them their slain or wounded companions. We could not observe
that they suffered any farther loss. Shortly after their retreat a party
of soldiers made their appearance, to my infinite relief. These men were
quartered at a village some miles distant, and had marched on the first
rumour of the skirmish. A part of them escorted the terrified revenue
officers and their seizure to a neighbouring seaport as a place of
safety, and at my earnest request two or three files remained with us for
that and the following day, for the security of the house from the
vengeance of these banditti.

'Such, dearest Matilda, was my first alarm. I must not forget to add that
the ruffians left, at a cottage on the roadside, the man whose face was
blackened with powder, apparently because he was unable to bear
transportation. He died in about half an hour after. On examining the
corpse, it proved to be that of a profligate boor in the neighbourhood,