ld not agree to join in the battle, preferring, I
suppose, in accordance with his tenets, to be murdered in cold
blood.

The raid did not take place, however. The judge had caused all
the roads leading to Yanceyville to be patrolled, and it was
understood that if any considerable body of men approached from
any direction light-wood fires would be kindled as warnings.

Tuesday night of the same week, I was invited, and so was Mr.
Bulla, to a supper at Judge Kerr's. Nearly all of the members of
the bar in attendance upon the court, were guests. Among them I
remember Col. Ruffin, General Alfred M. Scales, Col. Junius I.
Scales and Col. Dillard. Judge Tourgee was not invited.

Before I went to the supper Judge Kerr, whose residence was not
far off, came to my room and smoked his pipe, with its long reed
stem. Sometimes he walked the floor, and then sat down, then
walked again, and so on. His manner was uneasy, a characteristic
of the man. Several times he seemed ready to speak and then
restrained himself. He had professed a liking for me, and as he
was an impulsive man, I thought he might wish to say something
about the threatenings in the air; but finally he kept whatever
was on his mind to himself. He had fine traits, but was pompous
in demeanor. Those who liked that style were fond of him.

At the April term of the court, the evidences of the presence of
the Kuklux in Caswell county, accumulated. After partaking of
supper with Judge Kerr and his guests, I retired to rest in my
room, quite uneasy because of the rumors. I had fallen into a
doze, when my ears were disturbed by voices and singing and a
guitar tinkled. My venerable neighbor, Hon. James T. Morehead,
was being serenaded. After the music (so-called) had ceased
"Uncle Jimmy" made a little speech to the boys. From this, and
the conversation ensuing, I learned that it was confessedly a
Kuklux serenade. The venerable Nestor of the bar said to his
visitors that there were many worse things than the Kuklux--among
them the Union League and the Republican party. And so the young
men were encouraged.

I was glad when the time came to go home; which I did on the 14th
day of April, 1870. I started from Yanceyville in a buggy, with a
Mr. Fowler, a resident of Greensboro. Had I previously