as to the point, and ran as follows:

This is to inform you that you have spent jes time enough in
persecuting Union folks in this settlement on account of
them not beleeving as you rebbels do, and likewise time
enough in cheeting the government by bringing contraband
goods through the blockade. And this is to inform you that
if you do not immediately upon resep of this stop your
disloyal practices and come home at once, you will not find
as many buildings standing, when you do come, as you have
got standing now at this present time of writing. And this
is likewise to inform you that the first proof that we mean
jes what we say, you will get in a letter from your folks,
who will tell you that a letter something like this was
found on the front gallery of your house on a certain night,
and that a lot of dry weeds and stuff was likewise found
piled against the back of said house. Proof number 2 will be
in the same letter, which will tell you that Mrs. Gray's
overseer has been toted away by armed men, and that he won't
never be seen in this settlement again. For every day you
delay in coming home immediately after this letter has had
time to reach you in Newbern, you will loose a building of
some kind or sort, beginning with the house you live in.
This is from those who believe in defending the wemen and
children you rebbels are making war on, and so we sign
ourselves, THE PERTECTORS OF THE HELPLESS.

"Marcy Gray never had a hand in getting up this letter, more's the
pity," thought Tom, as he again ran his eye over the plainly written
lines in the hope of finding something that would give him an excuse for
saying that Marcy did write it. "Look at the spelling and the bungling
language! Marcy couldn't do that if he tried."

"Well, what do you reckon you make of it?" demanded the captain.

"It's perfectly scandalous the most outrageous thing I ever heard of!"
exclaimed Allison. "Just think of the impudence this fellow shows in
ordering you--ordering, I say----"

"Oh, there's more'n one feller mixed up in it," said Beardsley, with a
groan.

"Perhaps there is, and then again, perhaps there isn't," replied Tom.
"Couldn't I write a letter and sign a hundred names to it, if I wanted
to? I say it is a burning shame that good and loyal Confederates should
submit to be ordered about in this w