CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
MASTER RAYBURN ADVISES.
Captain Purlrose and his merry men had found a place just to their liking, where they lived like pigs in a hole of the earth, and as voraciously.

He chuckled and crowed as they ate and drank, and waited till their stock of provisions began to grow low, and then started off upon a fresh expedition, to gather tribute, as he called it.

He did not expose himself to any risks, but kept his ascendancy over his men by sheer cunning and ability in making his plans, leading them to where they could come quite unexpectedly upon some lonely cottage or farmhouse, ill-use and frighten the occupants nearly to death, adding insult to injury by loading the spoil of provisions, or whatever it pleased them to take, on the farmer's horses, leading them away, and after unloading them at the cave, setting them adrift.
The captain laughed at all threats, for he felt that no one would dare to follow him to his stronghold; and if an attack were made, he knew that he could easily beat it off.

The only two people near who were at all likely to trouble him were his old captain, Sir Morton Darley, and Sir Edward Eden.
"And they'll talk about it, and and threats, and never come." He seemed to be right, for as report after report of raids being made, here and there in the neighbourhood of the two strongholds reached their owners, Sir Morton Darley would vow vengeance against the marauders, and then go back to his books; and Sir Edward Eden would utter a vow that he would hang Captain Purlrose from the machicolations over the gateway at the Black Tor, and then he would go into his mining accounts, and hear the reports of his foreman, Dan Rugg, about how many pigs there were in the sty--that is to say, pigs of lead in the stone crypt-like place where they were stored.
And so time went on, both knights having to listen to a good many upbraidings from Master Rayburn, who visited and scolded them well for not combining and routing out the gang from their hole.
"I wish you would not worry me, Rayburn," said Sir Morton one day, in Ralph's presence.

"I don't want to engage upon an expedition which must end in bloodshed.