into it," answered Bud. "Jest about enough to
pay me for my time an' trouble, but no more. I've gin some of them
loud-talkin' folks, who think a nigger is as good as a white man, notice
that they had best cl'ar outen the 'Federacy before they are drove out,
an' go up to the United States among them that believe as they do."

"An' it sarves 'em jest right," observed one of Bud's friends, helping
himself to a handful of crackers. "I'd like to see the last one of 'em
chucked out bag an' baggage. But s'pose they wont go?"

"I'm hopin' they wont, for that's where the fun'll come in. That'll give
we-uns--"

Just at this moment Bud was interrupted by the entrance of "Elder
Bowen's nigger Sam," who removed his hat respectfully and kept on to the
counter where the storekeeper was at work. Bud and his friends listened
and heard him say:

"I aint got no change dis mawnin', Mr. Bailey, but--"

"That's all right, Sam," Mr. Bailey hastened to reply. "You are an
honest workingman, and your credit is good. What did you say you wanted?
A dress and a pair of shoes for your old woman? Well, how will these
suit you?"

"Dog-gone the nigger, why didn't he keep away a little longer?"
whispered Bud. "Them's the very things I wanted, an' mebbe ole man
Bailey won't want to trust two fellers at once."

"Then lick him," suggested one of his friends. "He's nobody but a
babolitionist, anyway."

"That's what I allow to do," answered Bud.

When the negro had received the goods he asked for, he leaned against
the counter as if he were in no particular hurry to go away. This suited
Bud, who drawled, in lazy tones:

"Yes; I've warned some of them nigger-lovers that they aint wanted here
no longer'n it'll take 'em to get out, but I am hopin' they won't leave,
kase that's where the fun'll come in. I'm gettin' up a company of
minute-men to sorter patrol the kentry hereabouts, an' them that don't
do to please us we are goin' to lick, niggers _an_' whites. We jest aint
goin' to have no more talkin' agin the 'Federacy, an' them that's for
the North kin go up there. That's what the committee says. Will you-uns
jine?"

Of course they would, to a man, and they would like nothing better. They
were ready at any time to prove their devotion to the Confederacy by
thrashing or hanging everybody, white _and_ black, who did not believe
that secession and disunion were the best things that could happen for
the South. Then Bud, seeing that he had plenty of