e Southerners; and when the pro-slavery men were driven to
substituting bullets for ballots, Colonel Lane recruited a band of hardy
men to protect the anti-slavery settlers, and incidentally to avenge the
murder of Lovejoy.

The meeting of father and Lane's men was a meeting of friends, and he
chose to cast his lot with theirs. Shortly afterward he took part
in "The Battle of Hickory Point," in which the pro-slavery men were
defeated with heavy loss; and thenceforward the name of Jim Lane was a
terror to the lawless and a wall of protection to our family.

The storm and stress of battle had drawn heavily on what little strength
was left to father, and relying for safety upon the proximity of Colonel
Lane and his men, he returned to us secretly by night, and was at once
prostrated on a bed of sickness.

This proved a serious strain upon our delicate mother, for during
father's absence a little brother had been added to our home, and not
only had she, in addition to the care of Baby Charlie, the nursing of
a sick man, but she was constantly harassed by apprehensions for his
safety as well.

CHAPTER IV. -- PERSECUTION CONTINUES.

MOTHER'S fears were well grounded. A few days after father had returned
home, a man named Sharpe, who disgraced the small office of justice of
the peace, rode up to our house, very much the worse for liquor, and
informed mother that his errand was to "search the house for that
abolition husband of yours." The intoxicated ruffian then demanded
something to eat. While mother, with a show of hospitality, was
preparing supper for him, the amiable Mr. Sharpe killed time in
sharpening his bowie-knife on the sole of his shoe.

"That," said he to Will, who stood watching him, "that's to cut the
heart out of that Free State father of yours!" And he tested the edge
with brutally suggestive care.

Will's comment was to take down his rifle and place himself on the
staircase leading up to father's room. There was trouble in that quarter
for Mr. Sharpe, if he attempted to ascend those stairs.

But the justice, as mother surmised, had no notion that father was at
home, else he would not have come alone. He ate heartily of the supper,
which Will hoped would choke him, and passing from drowsiness to drunken
slumber, soon tumbled from his chair. This so confused him that he
forgot his pretended errand, and shambled out of the house. He was
not so drunk that he could not tell a good bit of horseflesh, a