ering up she thought it best to secure a
protector of some kind. How to choose one without offending the other
and provoking a quarrel was the difficulty.

'You must both walk home with me,' she adroitly said, 'one on one side,
and one on the other. And if you are not quite civil to one another all
the time, I'll never speak to either of you again.'

They agreed to the terms, and the other yeomen arriving at this time said
they would go also as rearguard.

'Very well,' said Anne. 'Now go and get your hats, and don't be long.'

'Ah, yes; our hats,' said the yeomanry, whose heads were so hot that they
had forgotten their nakedness till then.

'You'll wait till we've got 'em--we won't be a moment,' said Festus
eagerly.

Anne and Loveday said yes, and Festus ran back to the house, followed by
all his band.

'Now let's run and leave 'em,' said Anne, when they were out of hearing.

'But we've promised to wait!' said the trumpet-major in surprise.

'Promised to wait!' said Anne indignantly. 'As if one ought to keep such
a promise to drunken men as that. You can do as you like, I shall go.'

'It is hardly fair to leave the chaps,' said Loveday reluctantly, and
looking back at them. But she heard no more, and flitting off under the
trees, was soon lost to his sight.

Festus and the rest had by this time reached Uncle Benjy's door, which
they were discomfited and astonished to find closed. They began to
knock, and then to kick at the venerable timber, till the old man's head,
crowned with a tasselled nightcap, appeared at an upper window, followed
by his shoulders, with apparently nothing on but his shirt, though it was
in truth a sheet thrown over his coat.

'Fie, fie upon ye all for making such a hullaballoo at a weak old man's
door,' he said, yawning. 'What's in ye to rouse honest folks at this
time o' night?'

'Hang me--why--it's Uncle Benjy! Haw--haw--haw?' said Festus. 'Nunc,
why how the devil's this? 'Tis I--Festus--wanting to come in.'

'O no, no, my clever man, whoever you be!' said Uncle Benjy in a tone of
incredulous integrity. 'My nephew, dear boy, is miles away at quarters,
and sound asleep by this time, as becomes a good soldier. That story
won't do to-night, my man, not at all.'

'Upon my soul 'tis I,' said Festus.

'Not to-night, my man; not to-night! Anthony, bring my blunderbuss,'
said the farmer, turning and addressing nobody inside the room.

'Let's break in the window-shutter