Chapter VII: The Incendiary

Driving a nail—How to prevent 107
splitting—Wetting nails—Mr. Walker’s
arrival—News—The stolen horse
found—The suspected rogue—Clinton’s
disclosures—Mr. Walker’s temper—A
furious outbreak—Mrs. Davenport’s
interference—Mitigating
circumstances—Whistler’s courage
reviving—Clinton’s threat—The folly of
flying into a passion—Tears—Mr.
Davenport—His regrets—Whistler’s
generous confession—One of Clinton’s
failings—His defence—Want of
reflection—Thinking an action right
does not make it so—Searching
questions—Compulsory promises—They are
binding, if right in themselves—Wrong
promises not binding—The rule
applied—Clinton convicted—Consequences
of not thinking—A volunteer
defence—The heads of the “brief”—The
judgment softened—The lost horse—The
lesson,