Although there were no soldiers now quartered at Plover's Barrows, all
being busied in harassing the country, and hanging the people where the
rebellion had thriven most, my mother, having received from me a message
containing my place of abode, contrived to send me, by the pack-horses,
as fine a maund as need be of provisions, and money, and other comforts.
Therein I found addressed to Colonel Jeremiah Stickles, in Lizzie's best
handwriting, half a side of the dried deer's flesh, in which he rejoiced
so greatly. Also, for Lorna, a fine green goose, with a little salt
towards the tail, and new-laid eggs inside it, as well as a bottle of
brandied cherries, and seven, or it may have been eight pounds of fresh
homemade butter. Moreover, to myself there was a letter full of good
advice, excellently well expressed, and would have been of the greatest
value, if I had cared to read it. But I read all about the farm affairs,
and the man who had offered himself to our Betty for the five pounds
in her stocking; as well as the antics of Sally Snowe, and how she had
almost thrown herself at Parson Bowden's head (old enough to be her
grandfather), because on the Sunday after the hanging of a Countisbury
man, he had preached a beautiful sermon about Christian love; which
Lizzie, with her sharp eyes, found to be the work of good Bishop Ken.
Also I read that the Doones were quiet; the parishes round about having
united to feed them well through the harvest time, so that after the
day's hard work, the farmers might go to bed at night. And this plan had
been found to answer well, and to save much trouble on both sides, so
that everybody wondered it had not been done before. But Lizzie thought
that the Doones could hardly be expected much longer to put up with it,
and probably would not have done so now, but for a little adversity; to
wit, that the famous Colonel Kirke had, in the most outrageous manner,
hanged no less than six of them, who were captured among the rebels;
for he said that men of their rank and breeding, and above all of
their religion, should have known better than to join plough-boys, and
carters, and pickaxemen, against our Lord the King, and his Holiness
the Pope. This hanging of so many Doones caused some indignation among
people who were used to them; and it seemed for a while to check the
rest from any spirit of enterprise.

Moreover, I found from this same letter (which was pinned upon the
knuckle of a leg of mutt