days' time, and even before
he was apprehended. But nothing was done to Grace Howe, of Bridgeball,
who had been Wade's greatest comforter; neither was anything done to us;
although Eliza had added greatly to mother's alarm and danger by falling
upon Rector Powell, and most soundly rating him for his meanness,
and his cruelty, and cowardice, as she called it, in setting men
with firearms upon a poor helpless fugitive, and robbing all our
neighbourhood of its fame for hospitality. However, by means of Sergeant
Bloxham, and his good report of us, as well as by virtue of Wade's
confession (which proved of use to the Government) my mother escaped all
penalties.

It is likely enough that good folk will think it hard upon our
neighbourhood to be threatened, and sometimes heavily punished, for
kindness and humanity; and yet to be left to help ourselves against
tyranny, and base rapine. And now at last our gorge was risen, and
our hearts in tumult. We had borne our troubles long, as a wise and
wholesome chastisement; quite content to have some few things of our own
unmeddled with. But what could a man dare to call his own, or what right
could he have to wish for it, while he left his wife and children at the
pleasure of any stranger?

The people came flocking all around me, at the blacksmith's forge, and
the Brendon alehouse; and I could scarce come out of church, but they
got me among the tombstones. They all agreed that I was bound to take
command and management. I bade them go to the magistrates, but they
said they had been too often. Then I told them that I had no wits for
ordering of an armament, although I could find fault enough with the one
which had not succeeded. But they would hearken to none of this.

All they said was "Try to lead us; and we will try not to run away."

This seemed to me to be common sense, and good stuff, instead of mere
bragging; moreover, I myself was moved by the bitter wrongs of Margery,
having known her at the Sunday-school, ere ever I went to Tiverton;
and having in those days, serious thoughts of making her my
sweetheart; although she was three years my elder. But now I felt this
difficulty--the Doones had behaved very well to our farm, and to mother,
and all of us, while I was away in London. Therefore, would it not be
shabby, and mean, for me to attack them now?

Yet being pressed still harder and harder, as day by day the excitement
grew (with more and more talking over it), and no on