his rifle, which he tried to point toward the door, covered
every square foot of surface on that side of the cabin in two seconds'
time.

"Who's there?" he demanded, in quavering tones. "Speak up, for there's
a bullet comin' right through the door where you stand."

"What's the matter of the fule?" inquired the man on the outside; and
Bud recognized the voice of one of his friends. "Lemme in."

Bud was only too glad to comply. He threw up the bar, opened the door,
and Silas Walker same in the man who held his rifle in the store while
he was making ready to punish Mr. Bailey for refusing him credit. Bud
was glad to see that he was not the only one who had been alarmed and
excited by that blaze in the sky. Silas's face had no color in it to
speak of, and he trembled as he moved across the floor.

"How did you get home so quick?" were the first words he spoke.

"Who? Me?" cried Bud. "I've been home sense noon; aint I, old woman?"

"Then who done it?" questioned Silas.

"Done what?"

"Set the elder's house on fire."

Bud was astounded, and so was his wife. The former looked sharply at his
visitor for a moment, and then backed toward the nearest chair.

"Isn't it Riley's house?" he gasped.

"Course not. I can see it plain from my door, an' there's Riley's house
standin' up safe an' sound as it ever was. It's Elder Bowen's, fast
enough. I kinder thought you done it to pay him for shovin' you outen
his lot by the neck, and I said to my old woman that you had sarved him
jest right; but if you didn't do it, then some of that Committee of
Safety must be to work."

Bud hadn't once thought of that, and it put an entirely different look
on the matter. If it was true that the "outbreak had come," it must be
that--

"There's a light off this a-way, too," observed Mrs. Goble, who to
conceal her agitation from the visitor, had moved around the room until
she found an opening between the logs through which she could look out
toward Barrington. "'Pears like there might be an other house a-fire."

"Hey-youp!" yelled Bud, whose terror had given away to almost fiendish
exultation. "The outbreak has come, like I said it was goin' to do, but
it aint the babolitionists an' niggers that's doin' of it. It's our own
friends. Come on, Sile. Me an' you mustn't hang back when there's work
to be done for the 'Federacy an' danger to be met."

"Now's a good time to settle with old man Bailey," Silas remarked.

"Couldn't find a better