“Any sort of a task, if it lasted a year,” said the chief, “would be better than having you staggering over me with that battle-axe. I promise without reserve for myself and men.”
“Very good,” said Old Pluck, letting down his axe as carefully as he could. “And now we will set you free.”
The men were untied, and the boys went to bed, and the next morning all breakfasted together in the great hall. When the meal was over the chief pushed back his chair, and addressed the boys.
“Now, then, my young friends,” said he, “what is it that you wish me and my men to do?”
Then stood up Old Pluck and said, “We boys, as I told you before, ran away from school because we are tired of the old humdrum Christmas; and nothing better could have happened to us than to get you fine fellows into our power, as we have done. It will be the jolliest thing in the world for us to see you and your band go through all the wild feats and bold exploits which belong to robber life; and we would like you to begin now, and keep it up all day and to-morrow.”
“But what would you have us do?” asked the chief, somewhat surprised.
“I should like to see you sack a village,” said Old Pluck. “How would that suit you, boys?”
The boys all declared that they thought that would do very well, to begin with.
The chief turned to his lieutenant and said: “Is there any village round here that has not been recently sacked?”
The lieutenant reflected a moment. “There is Buville,” he said. “We haven’t been there for six months.”