ther-farmers, all of them very sober; for father would have no company with any man who went beyond half a gallon of beer, or a single gallon of

he knew it to be every man's own business to defend himself and his go

ubles of the road, and singing goodly hymns and songs to keep their courage

to seven, it was in truth one man to one. Of the six who had been singing songs and psalms about the power of God, and their own regeneration

ave amazed him sadly that any durst resist him. Then when Smiler was carried away with the dash and the weight of my father (not being brought up to battle, nor used to turn, save in plough harness), the outlaw whistled upon his thumb, and plundered the rest of the yeoman. But father, drawing at Smiler's head, to try to come back and help them, was in the midst of a dozen men, who seemed to come out

y, and I cannot tell the rest of it. Only they knew that Smiler came home, with blood upon his withers, and father was found in the morning dea

ldren there were only three, none of us fit to be useful yet, only to comfort mother, by making her to work for us. I, John Ridd,

hing, which made all the neighbours say that she must be mad, at least. Upon the Monday morning, while her husband lay unburied, she c

. If I get on with this story, I shall have to tell of it by-and-by, as I saw it afterwards; and will not dwell there now. Enoug

not think as she wished to do, with the cold iron pushed against her. At the

of daylight; then growing brighter, lapsed away, and fell into the valley. Then, as it ran down the meadow, alders stood on either marge, and grass was blading out upon it, and yellow tufts of rushes gathered, looking at the hurry. But further down, on either bank, were covered houses built of stone, square and roughly corn

ptain's. Deep in the quiet valley there, away from noise, and violence, and brawl, save that of the rivulet, any man w

ow; and thence from the break of the falling water as far as the house of the captain

he Doones were of very high birth, as all we clods of Exmoor knew; and we had enough of good teaching now-let any man say the contrary

to stand by her side and put his strong arm round her, and how he liked his bacon fried, and

o better than a labourer at ditch-work. Only in his mouth and eyes, his gait, and most of all his voice, even a child coul

d and looked down at my mother, and she could not he

brought you hither? Young men must be you

s eyelids as if he liked her for it. But as for her, in her depth of lov

r my husband.' She could not say any more, because her heart was now too much

crave pardon of you. My eyes are old, or I might have known. Now, if we have your

en away with sorrow, because of his graci

the way she cried he knew that they had killed her husband. Then, having fe

sband God ever gave to a woman; and I knew him when he was to your belt, and I not up to your knee, sir; and never an unkind word he spoke, nor stopped me short in speaking. All the herbs he left

t no one now would ever care to wipe the tears. And fifty or a hundred things, of weekly

knowledge. 'Madam, if any wrong has been done, trust the honour of a Doone; I will redress it to my utmost. Come in

was a widow, and my children fatherless. My husband's name was John Ridd, sir, as everybody knows; and there was not a finer or better man in Somerset

il one, because it was too bad upon her, and perhaps she would awake in a minute, and her husb

d, I know. And yet I cannot think that they would willingly harm any one. And yet-and yet, you do look wronged. Send Co

f enormous strength, but a foot below the Doone stature (which I shall describe hereafter), he carried a long grey beard descending to the leather of his belt. Great eyebrows overhung his face, like ivy on a pollard oak, and under the

standing back in his height from h

sir; only

sellor, of great repute in this part of the country, who c

my mother, 'if ever there was a mu

all I wish to know,' said the old man, very

make no matter of business of

e,' said the

dy's worthy husband was slain, it seems, upon his return from the market at Po

Sometimes it seems a twelvemonth,

e Counsellor, with his e

, if any of our boys have been rough, they shall answer it dearly. And yet I can scarce believe it. For the folk about these parts are apt to mis

it in your countenance. Only tell me who it was, and set me face to face wit

by anything, drew back to the door and spoke, and his v

, in the shelter of a peat-rick, the night being dark and sudden, a robber of great size and strength rode into the midst of them, thinking to kill or terrify. His arrogance and hardihood at the first amazed them, but they would not give up without a blow goods which were on trust with them. He had smitten three of them sensele

oo much amazed to do any more than look at him, as if the earth must open. But the only thing that opened was th

etle has earned this

gl

Sir Ensor, and caught (as she fancied) a smil

d to explain, madam, any mistake which the rustic people may fall upon about us; and we wish you clearly to conceive that we do not charge

is attainted; unless is

ht from wrong, at that time of night. The waters are strong at Porlock, and even an h

calling to mind her manners. All the time she felt a warmth, as if the right was with her, and yet she could not see the way

ding her eyes, as if she were not blind enough with weeping, some one came in ha

,' he whispered; 'take

n a blind worm; and then for the first time crouch