l acceptance.

It was a look calculated to inspire awe which he flung upon the cowering
figures before the door of the forge as he suddenly perceived them; and
detaching himself from the advancing troop, he spurred his horse toward
them. He came up like a whirlwind.

That impetuous gallop could scarcely have carried his charger over the
building itself, yet there is nothing so overwhelming to the nerves
as the approaching rush of a speedy horse, and the group flattened
themselves against the wall; but he drew rein before he reached the
door, and whirling in the saddle, with one hand on the horse's back, he
demanded:

"Where is he? Bring him out!" as if all the world knew the object of his
search and the righteous reason of his enmity. "Bring him out! I'll have
a drumhead court martial--and he'll swing before sunset!"

"Good evenin', Cap'n," the old miller sought what influence might
appertain to polite address and the social graces.

"Evenin' be damned!" cried Ackert, angrily. "If you folks in the coves
want the immunity of non-combatants, by Gawd! you gotter preserve the
neutrality of non-combatants!"

"Yessir--that's reason--that's jestice," said the old squire, hastily,
whose capacities of ratiocination had been cultivated by the exercise of
the judicial functions of his modest _piepoudre_ court.

Ackert unwillingly cast his eagle eye down upon the cringing old man, as
if he would rather welcome contradiction than assent.

"It's accordin' to the articles o' war and the law of nations," he
averred. "People take advantage of age and disability"--he glanced at
the blacksmith, whose left hand mechanically grasped the stump of
his right arm--"as if that could protect 'em in acts o' treason an'
treachery;" then with a blast of impatience, "Where's the man?"

To remonstrate with a whirlwind, to explain to a flash of lightning, to
soothe and propitiate the fury of a conflagration--the task before the
primitive and inexpert Cove-dwellers seemed to partake of this nature.

"Cap'n--ef ye'd listen ter what I gotter say," began the miller.

"I'll listen arterward!" exclaimed Ackert, in his clarion voice. He had
never heard of Jedburgh justice, but he had all the sentiment of that
famous tribunal who hanged the prisoners first and tried them afterward.

"Cap'n," remonstrated the blacksmith, breaking in with hot haste,
hurried by the commander's gusts of impatience, forgetful that he had
no need to be precipitate, sinc