knew that he was lying on Master Blane's kitchen floor. He picked
himself up, and at the same moment heard Jephthah calling him from
the outside.

"Stead," he said, "I am going!"

"Going!" said poor Stead, half asleep.

"Yes. I shall never rest till I have had a shot at those barbarous
German princes and the rest of the villains. My father's blood cries
to me from the ground for vengeance."

"Would father have said like that?" said the boy, bewildered, but
conscious of something defective, though these were Bible words.

"That's not the point! Captain Venn called every man to take the
sword and hew down the wicked, and slay the ungodly and the
murderers. I will!" cried Jeph, "none shall withhold me."

He had caught more phrases from these fiery preachers than he himself
knew, and they broke forth in this time of excitement.

"But, Jeph, what is to become of us? The girls, and the little one!
You are the only one of us who can do a man's work."

"I could not keep you together!" said Jeph. "Our house burnt by
those accursed sons of Belial, all broken up, and only a lubber like
you to help! No, Goody Grace or some one will take in the girls for
what's left of the stock, and you can soon find a place--a strong
fellow like you; Master Blane might take you and make a smith of you,