n the
custody of another officer. The old man seemed to be taking the whole
proceeding very quietly and patiently, as the Quakers always did. But
the moment he saw Dulcibel weeping, with Herrick's grasp upon her arm,
his whole demeanor changed.

"What devil's mischief is this?" cried the demented man; and springing
like an enraged lion upon Master Herrick, he dashed him against the
opposite wall, tore his constable's staff from his hands and laying the
staff around him wildly and ferociously cleared the room of everybody
save Dulcibel and himself in less time than I have taken to tell it.

Jethro stepped forward with his drawn rapier to cover the retreat of the
constables; but shouting, "the sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" the
deranged man, with the stout oaken staff, dashed the rapier from
Jethro's hand, and administered to him a sounding whack over the head,
which made the blood come. Then he picked up the rapier and throwing the
staff behind him, laughed wildly as he saw the crowd, constable and
all, tumbling out of the door of the next room into the front garden of
the house as if Satan himself in very deed, were after them.

"I will teach them how they abuse my pretty little Dulcibel," said the
now thoroughly demented man, laughing grimly. "Come on, ye imps of
Satan, and I will toast you at the end of my fork," he cried,
flourishing Jethro's rapier, whose red point, crimson with the blood of
the canary-bird, seemed to act upon the mind of the old man as a spark
of fire upon tow.

"Antipas," said Dulcibel, coming forward and gazing sadly into the eyes
of her faithful follower, "is it not written, 'Put up thy sword; for he
that takes the sword shall perish by the sword'? Give me the weapon!"

The old man gazed into her face, at first wonderingly; then, with the
instinct of old reverence and obedience, he handed the rapier to her,
crossed his muscular arms over his broad breast, bowed his grisly head,
and stood submissively before her.

"You can return now safely," Dulcibel called out to the constables. They
came in, at first a little warily. "He is insane; but the spell is over
now for the present. But treat him tenderly, I pray you. When he is in
one of these fits, he has the strength of ten men."

The constables could not help being impressed favorably by the maiden's
conduct; and they treated her with a certain respect and tenderness
which they had not previously shown, until they had delivered her, and