f careful lest he might interrupt the closing
ceremonies. And when the last child was gone my friend came forward,
shaking his head.

"What's the trouble now?" I asked, taking down my hat.

"Put your hat right back there, unless you want to wear it in the
house," he said. "I have found out that those fellows are laying for
you, and it won't be safe to start home now; we'll have to wait until
dark. Oh, they'll get you sure if you go now. They have been to town, I
understand, and have come back pretty well loaded up with whisky. Oh,
they are as bold as lions now. But we'll fix them all right. We'll wait
until dark and not go by the road, and to-morrow morning we'll go over
and see what they've got to say."

"Alf, I don't know how to express my thanks to you. You are running a
great risk----"

"Don't mention that, Bill. You stood by me, you understand--walked right
into the General's house with me, and I said to myself that if you ever
got into a pinch that I'd be on hand and stand with you. Did you bring a
pistol?"

"Yes, and I am very glad that I didn't meet one of those fellows as I
came along. However, I should not know one of them if I were to meet him
in the road."

"But you'll know them after a while. Do these doors lock?"

"I think not, or, at least, they could be easily forced open. Do you
think they are likely----"

"They are likely to do anything now," he broke in. "And there are just
four of them big enough to fight--of the boys, I mean, for the old man
has sense enough to keep out of it."

"It is a wonder, then," said I, "that he hasn't sense enough to keep his
sons out of it, as he must know that no good can be the result."

"That's all true enough," Alf replied, "but I have heard that you can't
argue with the instinct of a brute, and I know that it is useless to
argue with red liquor. Here, let's shove the writing desk against this
door," he added. "Once more, shove again. That's it. Now we'll pile
benches against the other one. We can't do anything with the windows,
but must simply keep out of the way of them."

"Do you think they will shoot through them?" I asked.

He halted, with the end of a bench in his grasp, and looked at me.
"Bill, if I didn't know better I'd swear that you are not of the South.
Don't you know that if you enrage white trash it is likely to do
anything? Don't you know that consequences are never counted?"

"I know all that," I replied, "but I was considering the incent