on, they
must go. We cannot prevent it. Let our erring sisters go in peace."

The people before him believed that Horace Greeley's paper represented
the North in this utterance. Davis knew that it was not true.

In a flash of clear soul vision he saw the inevitable horror of the
coming struggle and determined to tell the people so.

The message he delivered was a distinct shock. He not only told them in
tones of deep and tender emotion that war was inevitable, but that it
would be long and bloody.

"We'll lick 'em in two months!" a voice yelled in protest and the crowd
cheered.

The leader shook his fine head.

"Don't deceive yourselves, my friends. War once begun, no man can
predict its end--"

"It won't begin!" another cried.

"You have convinced me to-day that it is now inevitable."

"The Yankees won't fight!" shouted a big fellow in front.

The speaker bent his gaze on the stalwart figure in remonstrance.

"You never made a worse mistake in your life, my friend. I warn you--I
know these Yankees. Once in it they'll fight with grim, dogged, sullen,
unyielding courage. We're men of the same blood. They live North, you
South--that's all the difference."

At every station the same scene was enacted. The crowd rushed around his
car with the sudden sweep of a whirlwind, and left for their homes with
grave, thoughtful faces.

By three o'clock in the afternoon he was thoroughly exhausted by the
strain. The eager crowds had sapped his last ounce of vitality.

The conductor of the train looked at him with pity and whispered:

"I'll save you at the next station."

The leader smiled his gratitude for the sympathy but wondered how it
could be done.

At the next stop, the Senator had just taken his position on the rear
platform, lifted his hand for silence and said:

"Friends and fellow citizens--"

The engine suddenly blew off steam with hiss and roar and when it ceased
the train pulled out with a jerk amid the shouts and protests of the
crowd. The grateful speaker waved his hand in regretful but happy
farewell.

The conductor repeated the trick for three stations until the exhausted
speaker had recovered his strength and then allowed him a few brief
remarks at each stop.

From the moment the train entered the State of Mississippi, grim,
earnest men in groups of two, three, four and a dozen stepped on board,
saluted their Chief and took their seats.

When the engine pulled into the station at Jackson