rown dropped his lantern, fixed her with his eyes.

"I am the leader of the Northern Army."

"What are you doing here to-night?"

"I have come on a divine mission."

"Who sent you?"

"The Lord of Hosts in a Vision--"

"What are you going to do?"

"The will of God."

"What are you going to do?" she fairly screamed in his face.

"That is not for your ears, woman," was the stern answer. "I have
important business with Southern settlers on the Pottawattomie
to-night."

The woman's intuition saw in a flash the hideous tragedy. With a cry of
anguish she threw her arms around her husband's neck, sobbing.

"Oh, John, John, my man, I told ye not to talk--but ye would tell folks
what ye believed. Why couldn't ye be still? Oh, my God, my God, it's
come to this!"

The man soothed her with tender touch.

"Hush, Mother, hush. You mustn't take on."

"I can't help it--I just can't. God have mercy on my poor lost soul--"

She paused and looked at her boys.

With a scream she threw herself first on one and then on the other.

"Oh, my big fine boy! I can't let you go! Where is God to-night? Is He
dead? Has He forgotten me?"

The father drew her away and shook her sternly.

"Hush, Mother, hush! Yer can't show the white feather like this!"

"I can't help it. I can't give up my boys!"

She paused and looked at Doyle.

"And I can't give you up, my man--I just can't!"

"Don't, don't--" the husband commanded. "We've got to be men now."

She fought hard to control her tears. The little girls began to sob. She
rushed to the trundle bed and soothed them.

"Keep still, babies. They won't hurt you. Keep still!"

The children choked into silence and she leaped toward Brown and tried
to seize his hand. He repulsed her and she went on frantically.

"Please, for God's sake, man, have mercy on a wife and mother, if you
ain't got no pity in your heart for my men! Surely you have women
home. Their hearts can break like mine. My man's only been talkin' as
politicians talk. It was nothing. Surely it's no crime."

Brown drew a notebook from his pocket and held it up.

"I have the record in this book of your husband's words against the men
of our party, Madame. He stands convicted of murder in his heart. His
sons are not of age. Their opinions are his."

For a moment the mother forgot her pleading and shrieked her defiance
into the stern face before her.

"And who made you a judge o' life and death for my man and my sons?