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 one else coming forward
to undertake the business, I agreed at last to this; that if the Doones,
upon fair challenge, would not endeavour to make amends by giving up
Mistress Margery, as well as the man who had slain the babe, then I
would lead the expedition, and do my best to subdue them. All our men
were content with this, being thoroughly well assured from experience,
that the haughty robbers would only shoot any man who durst approach
them with such proposal.

And then arose a difficult question--who was to take the risk of making
overtures so unpleasant? I waited for the rest to offer; and as none was
ready, the burden fell on me, and seemed to be of my own inviting. Hence
I undertook the task, sooner than reason about it; for to give the cause
of everything is worse than to go through with it.

It may have been three of the afternoon, when leaving my witnesses
behind (for they preferred the background) I appeared with our Lizzie's
white handkerchief upon a kidney-bean stick, at the entrance to the
robbers' dwelling. Scarce knowing what might come of it, I had taken the
wise precaution of fastening a Bible over my heart, and another across
my spinal column, in case of having to run away, with rude men shooting
after me. For my mother said that the Word of God would stop a two-inch
bullet, with three ounces of powder behind it. Now I took no weapons,
save those of the Spirit, for fear of being misunderstood. But I could
not bring myself to think that any of honourable birth would take
advantage of an unarmed man coming in guise of peace to them.

And this conclusion of mine held good, at least for a certain length of
time; inasmuch as two decent Doones appeared, and hearing of my purpose,
offered, without violence, to go and fetch the Captain; if I would stop
wh