t, 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, since he could not produce the recusant if he
would. "Cap'n--Cap'n--bear with us--we-uns don't know!"

Ackert stared in snorting amaze, a flush of anger dyeing his red cheeks
a yet deeper red. Of all the subterfuges that he had expected, he had
never divined this. He shifted front face in his saddle, placed his
gauntleted right hand on his right side, and held his head erect,
looking over the wide, rich expanse of the Cove, the corn in the field,
and the fodder in the shock set amid the barbaric splendors of the
wooded autumn mountains glowing in the sunset above. He seemed scenting
his vengeance with some keen sense as he looked, his thin nostrils
dilating as sensitively as the nostrils of his high-couraged charger now
throwing up his head to sniff the air, now bending it down as he pawed
the ground.

"Well, gentlemen, you have got a mighty pretty piece o' country here,
and good crops, too--which is a credit to you, seeing that the
conscription has in and about drafted al