“You are right,” I replied; “how clever you are! and that is why there were only three to cut off Master Stickles.  And now we shall beat them, I make no doubt, even if they come at all.  And I defy them to fire the house:  the thatch is too wet for burning.”

We sent all the women to bed quite early, except Gwenny Carfax and our old Betty.  These two we allowed to stay up, because they might be useful to us, if they could keep from quarreling.  For my part, I had little fear, after what Lorna had told me, as to the result of the combat.  It was not likely that the Doones could bring more than eight or ten men against us, while their homes were in such danger:  and to meet these we had eight good men, including Jeremy, and myself, all well armed and resolute, besides our three farm-servants, and the parish-clerk, and the shoemaker.  These five could not be trusted much for any valiant conduct, although they spoke very confidently over their cans of cider.  Neither were their weapons fitted for much execution, unless it were at close quarters, which they would be likely to avoid.  Bill Dadds had a sickle, Jem Slocombe a flail, the cobbler had borrowed the constable’s staff (for the constable would not attend, because there was no warrant), and the parish clerk had brought his pitch-pipe, which was enough to break any man’s head.  But John Fry, of course, had his blunderbuss, loaded with tin-tacks and marbles, and more likely to kill the man who discharged it than any other person:  but we knew that John had it only for show, and to describe its qualities.

Now it was my great desire, and my chiefest hope, to come across Carver Doone that night, and settle the score between us; not by any shot in the dark, but by a conflict man to man.  As yet, since I came to full-grown power, I had never met any one whom I could not play teetotum with:  but now at last I had found a man whose strength was not to be laughed at.  I could guess it in his face, I could tell it in his arms, I could see it in his stride and gait, which more than all the rest betray the substance of a man.  And being so well used to wrestling, and to judge antagonists, I felt that here (if anywhere) I had found my match.

Therefore I was not content to abide within the house, or go the rounds with the troopers; but betook myself to the rick yard, knowing that the Doones were likely to begin their onset there.  For they had a pleasant custom, when they visited farm-houses, of lighting themselves towards picking up anything they wanted, or stabbing the inhabitants, by first creating a blaze in the rick yard.  And though our ricks were all now of mere straw (except indeed two of prime clover-hay), and although on the top they were so wet that no firebrands might hurt them; I was both unwilling to have them burned, and fearful that they might kindle, if well roused up with fire upon the windward side.