“That be them, sir. I ’member th’ woman made a terrible to-do her did when us found a couple o’ swords in th’ thatch. We ’ad information, if yer ’member sir, that they was a-hidin’ weapons in that place. Us searched an’ found ‘em, shot th’ men and burnt th’ roof over th’ heads o’ th’ others.”
“You shot them?” the Captain said. “I thought men were sent for transportation if they were discovered with weapons in their possession?”
“Aye, that’s th’ law,” the soldier said. “But there was some resistance o’ a kind among th’ men an’ th’ Major says ter shoot th’ devils and have done with it. Tis less trouble in th’ long run, but ’tis cruel ’ard on th’ women an’ children. I ’ear as ’ow folk are afraid to give ’em food an’ lodgin’ round ’ere when they ’ave been burnt out.”
“The woman must have be
