331 



is allowed to go. Although on such occasions hundreds 

 of youths assemble, no injury is ever done to person 

 or property j and should, through their instrumentality, 

 horses or cattle chance to be killed or hurt, the full price 

 of the same is forwarded to the owner. Should a tra- 

 veller be passing that way at the time that such visita- 

 tion is going on, he is stopped till all is over, when he is 

 allowed to proceed on his road. To guard against sur- 

 prise, they have outposts and patrols in all directions 

 round the scene of their operations, who give the signal 

 in case of alarm j for the authorities are, as may be sup- 

 posed, very averse to such general risings of armed bo- 

 dies, and have taken every means to punish those who 

 share in them. But such is the secrecy observed, that 

 the Government has always been unsuccessful, not only 

 being unable to make a single capture, but even to find 

 out any of the parties concerned. Indeed to prevent 

 such a meeting by force would be very difficult, as the 

 bands assembled are sure to be numerically superior to 

 any that can oppose thorn. Toltz, though a large and 

 populous village, was unable to hinder such a Fehm- 

 gericht from taking place. Troops indeed have been 

 sent to surround and take the parties, but owing to the 

 videttes extending to a great distance, and the scouts 

 being on the alert, all had dispersed to their several 

 homes before the soldiers could arrive. The secrecy 

 with which the day and hour and place of meeting are 

 kept, the extent of their operations, and the perfect suc- 

 cess of their tactics in escaping from pursuit, reminds 

 one of the nocturnal excursions of the Rebeccaites in 

 Wales some years ago. 



Pepi's portrait was now looked at, and all were pleased 

 with it, but his own children were especially delighted. 

 Their admiration was boundless. It was indeed very 



