make ground mustard out of anybody that
dares touch a hair of your head with his sass!"

The rout, ignominiously driven from the parlor by the vigorous
assaults of Byle, immediately rallied, in the yard, ashamed of their
precipitate panic and retreat. The humiliated captain gave orders to a
file of men to enter the house and take the champion, alive or dead.
This command might have been executed had not Colonel Phelps come upon
the scene unexpectedly. A rapid survey of the premises, a few
inquiries, revealed to him the shameful misbehavior of his officers
and men. Byle freely imparted his version of how matters stood.

"Colonel, these scandalous boys of yourn are guilty of burglary in
open daylight! yes, and of unprovoked 'sault and batter, prepense. The
law is on our side, all round. The citizen has an inalienable right to
defend his home and family, and we did, didn't we, Harman?"

Phelps admitted the correctness of Plutarch's views. To the captain
the colonel said sternly:

"Consider yourself under arrest. You have disgraced your temporary
commission." Addressing the derelict soldiery, he added:

"You are not fit to carry muskets! Shame upon you, men, shame! You
have soiled the name of Virginia, and stained the honor of your
homes."

"Say, cap'n," resumed Byle, staunching his bloody thumb with the
fringe of his buckskin doublet, "you'd best trade your side arms for
this young un's tin sword; git it for him, bub; and I'll make him a
pop-gun of elder-wood. Colonel Hugh Phelps, of Parkurgberg, how are
you? Excuse my not shaking hands sooner."

Phelps assumed a haughty military attitude, which displayed to
advantage his large and imposing form. "Who is this person?" he asked
the captain.

"Jersey cranberries! Don't you know me? I've heard of the Phelpses
ever since I was knee-high to a duck. They are folks nobody need feel
ticklish about shaking hands with. You're the only swelled up one of
the stock. I never knowed but one wuthless Phelp, and he was a good
enough fisher when he was sober. Colonel, were you ever picked up by
puttin' out your paw to the wrong man? Want to see inside the
'stablishment? Come right in, I'll introduce you to Mrs.
Blennerhassett."

The colonel pushed forward through the open door and accosted the
dignified lady, who was taking an inventory of the ruined household
effects. Byle stalked into the room at the officer's side.

In the stately manner of the gentry of the period, Phelps