ssed him, until he undertook to tell all the lies we required.
And right well he did it too, having once made up his mind to it; and
perceiving that his own interests called for the total destruction of
the robbers.

CHAPTER LXXI

A LONG ACCOUNT SETTLED

Having resolved on a night-assault (as our undisciplined men,
three-fourths of whom had never been shot at, could not fairly be
expected to march up to visible musket-mouths), we cared not much about
drilling our forces, only to teach them to hold a musket, so far as we
could supply that weapon to those with the cleverest eyes; and to give
them familiarity with the noise it made in exploding. And we fixed upon
Friday night for our venture, because the moon would be at the full; and
our powder was coming from Dulverton on the Friday afternoon.

Uncle Reuben did not mean to expose himself to shooting, his time of
life for risk of life being now well over and the residue too valuable.
But his counsels, and his influence, and above all his warehousemen,
well practised in beating carpets, were of true service to us. His
miners also did great wonders, having a grudge against the Doones; as
indeed who had not for thirty miles round their valley?

It was settled that the yeomen, having good horses under them, should
give account (with the miners' help) of as many Doones as might be
despatched to plunder the pretended gold. And as soon as we knew that
this party of robbers, be it more or less, was out of hearing from the
valley, we were to fall to, ostensibly at the Doone-gate (which was
impregnable now), but in reality upon their rear, by means of my old
water-slide. For I had chosen twenty young fellows, partly miners, and
partly warehousemen, and sheep farmers, and some of other vocations, but
all to be relied upon for spirit and power of climbing. And with proper
tools to aid us, and myself to lead the way, I felt no doubt whatever
but that we could all attain the crest where first I had met with Lorna.

Upon the whole, I rejoiced that Lorna was not present now. It must have
been irksome to her feelings to have all her kindred and old associates
(much as she kept aloof from them) put to death without ceremony, or
else putting all of us to death. For all of us were resolved this
time to have no more shilly-shallying; but to go through with a nasty
business, in the style of honest Englishmen, when the question comes to
'Your life or mine.'

There was hardly a man a