"Oh, aye! Mistress Hannah Stich, to be sure! I didn’t know she had such a fine lad of her own," commented the Corporal, as the young man straightened his tall figure and looked him fearlessly in the face. "Lads grow up fast enough, don’t they, Corporal?" laughed honest Stich, pleasantly; "but come, let’s hear His Majesty’s Proclamation since you’ve got to read it. But you see I’m very busy and..." "Nay, ’tis my duty, John Stich, ’in every homestead in Derbyshire’ ’tis to be read, so says this Act of Parliament. You might have saved this trouble had you come down to the cross-roads just now." "I was busy," remarked John Stich, drily, and the Corporal began to read:— "’It having come to the knowledge of His Majesty’s Parliament that certain subjects of the King have lately raised the standard of rebellion, setting up the Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, above the King’s most lawful Majesty, it is hereby enacted that these persons are guilty of high treason and by the laws of the kingdom are therefore condemned to death. It is further enacted that it is unlawful for any loyal subject of the King to shelter or harbour, clothe or feed any such persons who are vile traitors and rebels to their King and country; and that any subject of His Majesty who kills such a traitor or rebel doth thereby commit an act of justice and loyalty, for which he may be rewarded by the sum of twenty guineas.’" There was a pause when the Corporal had finished reading. John Stich was leaning upon his hammer, the young man once more busied himself with the bellows. Outside, the clearing shower of September rain began pattering upon the thatched roof of the forge. "Well," said John Stich at last, as the Corporal put the heavy parchment away in his wallet. "Well, and are you going to tell us who are those persons, Corporal, whom our village lads are told to murder by Act of Parliament? How shall we know a rebel ... and shoot him ... when we see one?" "There were forty persons down on the list a few weeks ago, persons who were known to be in hiding in Derbyshire," said the young soldier, "but..." "Well, what’s your ’but,’ Corporal? There were forty persons whom ’twas lawful to murder a few weeks ago.... What of them?" "They have been caught and hanged, most of them," replied the soldier, quietly. "Jim, lad, mind that fire," commented John Stich, turning to his "nephew out o’ Nottingham," for the latter was staring with glowing eyes and quivering lips at the Corporal, who, not noticing him, continued carelessly,—