“You’re not afraid, Lu, are you?” asked Max.

“No; not with papa close by to take care of me and tell me what to do,” she answered, nestling closer to her father.

“No,” said Max; “and the burglars wouldn’t be allowed to hurt you anyhow.  The magistrate and the sheriff, and the rest would take care of that you know.”

“I suppose so,” returned Lulu, “but for all that it would be dreadful to have to go there without papa.  You wouldn’t want to yourself, Max.”

“I’d a great deal rather have papa along, of course; anybody would want his intimate friend with him on such an occasion, and papa is my most intimate friend,” replied the lad with a laughing, but most affectionate look into his father’s face.

“That’s right, my boy; I trust you will always let me be that to you,” the captain said, grasping his son’s hand and holding it for a moment in a warm affectionate clasp.

“You are mine, too, papa; my best and dearest earthly friend,” Lulu said, lifting to his, eyes shining with filial love.  “Papa, aren’t you afraid those bad men will try to harm you some day, if they ever get out of prison?”

“We are always safe in the path of duty,” he replied, “and it is a duty we owe the community to bring such lawless men to justice, for the protection of those they would prey upon.  No, I do not fear them, because I am under the protection of Him ’in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.’

“’The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’

“No, daughter, one who fears God need fear nothing else; neither men nor devils, for our God is stronger than Satan and all his hosts.”

“And wicked men are Satan’s servants, aren’t they, papa?”

“Yes; for they do his will; obey his behests.”

“It seems to me Christians ought to be very happy, always,” remarked Max.

“Yes, they ought,” said his father; “the command is, ’Rejoice in the Lord always,’ and it is only lack of faith that prevents any of us from doing so.”

Arrived at their destination they found a little crowd of idlers gathered about the door of the magistrate’s office whither the two prisoners had been taken a few moments before.  As the Woodburn carriage drove up, and the captain and his children alighted from it, the crowd parted to let them pass in, several of the men lifting their hats with a respectful, “Good morning, sir,” to the captain.  “Good morning, Master Max.”

Their salutations were politely returned, and the captain stepped into the office, holding Lulu by the hand, and closely followed by Max.

Harold and Herbert had arrived a little in advance, and were among the spectators who, with the officers and their prisoners, nearly filled the small room.

The children behaved very well indeed, showing by their manner when taking the oath to tell “the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” that they were duly impressed with the solemnity of the act, and the responsibility they were assuming.