All they said was “Try to lead us; and we will try not to run away.”

This seemed to me to be common sense, and good stuff, instead of mere bragging; moreover, I myself was moved by the bitter wrongs of Margery, having known her at the Sunday-school, ere ever I went to Tiverton; and having in those days, serious thoughts of making her my sweetheart; although she was three years my elder.  But now I felt this difficulty—­the Doones had behaved very well to our farm, and to mother, and all of us, while I was away in London.  Therefore, would it not be shabby, and mean, for me to attack them now?

Yet being pressed still harder and harder, as day by day the excitement grew (with more and more talking over it), and no one else coming forward to undertake the business, I agreed at last to this; that if the Doones, upon fair challenge, would not endeavour to make amends by giving up Mistress Margery, as well as the man who had slain the babe, then I would lead the expedition, and do my best to subdue them.  All our men were content with this, being thoroughly well assured from experience, that the haughty robbers would only shoot any man who durst approach them with such proposal.

And then arose a difficult question—­who was to take the risk of making overtures so unpleasant?  I waited for the rest to offer; and as none was ready, the burden fell on me, and seemed to be of my own inviting.  Hence I undertook the task, sooner than reason about it; for to give the cause of everything is worse than to go through with it.

It may have been three of the afternoon, when leaving my witnesses behind (for they preferred the background) I appeared with our Lizzie’s white handkerchief upon a kidney-bean stick, at the entrance to the robbers’ dwelling.  Scarce knowing what might come of it, I had taken the wise precaution of fastening a Bible over my heart, and another across my spinal column, in case of having to run away, with rude men shooting after me.  For my mother said that the Word of God would stop a two-inch bullet, with three ounces of powder behind it.  Now I took no weapons, save those of the Spirit, for fear of being misunderstood.  But I could not bring myself to think that any of honourable birth would take advantage of an unarmed man coming in guise of peace to them.

And this conclusion of mine held good, at least for a certain length of time; inasmuch as two decent Doones appeared, and hearing of my purpose, offered, without violence, to go and fetch the Captain; if I would stop where I was, and not begin to spy about anything.  To this, of course, I agreed at once; for I wanted no more spying, because I had thorough knowledge of all ins and outs already.  Therefore, I stood waiting steadily, with one hand in my pocket feeling a sample of corn for market; and the other against the rock, while I wondered to see it so brown already.