mother. It was she who in those troublous times just
before the Civil War was the first to raise the voice in the Quaker
Meeting which said that the Friends ought to free their slaves, law or
no law; and so started what was called later the Unionist sentiment in
that part of old Virginia. It was my mother did that. Then she asked my
father to manumit all his slaves; and he thought for an hour, and then
raised his head and said it should be done; after which the servants
lived on as before, and gave less in return, at which my father made wry
faces, but said nothing in regret. After us others also set free their
people, and presently this part of Virginia was a sort of Mecca for
escaped blacks. It was my mother did that; and I believe that it was her
influence which had much to do with the position of East Virginia on the
question of the war. And this also in time had much to do with this
strange story of mine, and much to do with the presence thereabout of
the man whom I was to meet that very morning; although when I started to
mount my horse Satan I did not know that such a man as Gordon Orme
existed in the world.

When I approached Satan he lunged at me, but I caught him by the cheek
strap of the bridle and swung his head close up, feeling for the saddle
front as he reached for me with open mouth. Then as he reared I swung up
with him into place, and so felt safe, for once I clamped a horse fair
there was an end of his throwing me. I laughed when Miss Grace Sheraton
called out in alarm, and so wheeled Satan around a few times and rode on
down the road, past the fields where the blacks were busy as blacks ever
are, and so on to our own red pillared-gates.

Then, since the morning was still young, and since the air seemed to me
like wine, and since I wanted something to subdue and Satan offered, I
spurred him back from the gate and rode him hard down toward
Wallingford. Of course he picked up a stone en route. Two of us held his
head while Billings the blacksmith fished out the stone and tapped the
shoe nails tight. After that I had time to look around.

As I did so I saw approaching a gentleman who was looking with interest
at my mount. He was one of the most striking men I have ever seen, a
stranger as I could see, for I knew each family on both sides the Blue
Ridge as far up the valley as White Sulphur.

"A grand animal you have there, sir," said he, accosting Me. "I did not
know his like existed in this country.