anshire for the night, leaving the horses, we walked to the town.
As we returned, the night being rather dark, I was not conscious of any
one being on the same road behind, and was talking to my son, rather
earnestly, of the iniquitous verdict of the Hendy Gate assassin jury,
when a voice behind asked in English, saucily, if _I_ was going to
attend the future trial of the "Hugheses, and them of the Llanon
village, then in Swansea jail?" The tone clearly indicated how alien to
the Welshman's feelings were those I was expressing, though but those of
common humanity. Giving the voice in the dark such short answer,
refusing to satisfy him, as the question deserved, and with responsive
bluffness, we left the man behind, who, it proved, was bound to our inn.
We found our parlour filled with farmers, who instantly became _mum_ as
we entered, but their eyes suspiciously surveyed us. It was near eleven
o'clock, so we retired to our double-bedded chamber, which happened to
be situated over the parlour. The inn (whose owners were _ultra_
"Welshly," speaking English very badly,) was well situated for holding a
midnight council of (Rebecca) war, being lonely, at the confluence of
two roads, and this proved to be the nature of this late assemblage. We
were just in bed, (having _secured the door as well as we could_,) when
we heard through the imperfect flooring a very animated _melee_ of Welsh
tongues all astir at once, and I fancied I recognized the voice of the
pious Christian in the dark, who had been moved by the spirit (of
religion of course) to hint or betray his dissent from the Saxon
"stranger's" rebuke of perjury and murder-screening. A few minutes
after, several hurried out, and three or four discharges of guns
followed in front of the house, but nothing more. I was pleased to
think that the said house and windows were "mine host's," and not mine,
otherwise a little hail of shot might have followed the "short thunder;"
but as it was, nothing more than this warning bravado (as I imagine it
to have been) occurred.

A great deal of _solo_ spouting, by orators in orderly succession, went
on till near two in the morning--_Sunday_. At least, falling asleep, I
left this little patriot parliament sitting, and found it in full tongue
on awaking at that hour. I suppose this sitting in judgment on
toll-houses (and possibly _other_ houses) of these anti-landlord
committees, are _not_ breaches of the observance of the Sabbath.

On the