f a chair and pushed it under
Major Colfax.

"Sit down, gentlemen, we are not so far apart," said the Colonel, coolly.
The slovenly negro lad passing at that time, he caught him by the sleeve.
"Here, boy, a bowl of toddy, quick. And mind you brew it strong. Now,
Tom," said he, "what is this fine tale about a hanging?"

"'Twan't nothin'," said Tom.

"You tell me you didn't try to hang Mr. Potts!" cried Major Colfax.

"I tell you nothin'," said Tom, and his jaw was set more stubbornly than
ever.

Major Colfax glanced at Colonel Clark.

"You see!" he said a little triumphantly.

I could hold my tongue no longer.

"Major Colfax is unjust, sir," I cried. "'Twas Tom saved the man from
hanging."

"Eh?" says Colonel Clark, turning to me sharply. "So you had a hand in
this, Davy. I might have guessed as much."

"Who the devil is this?" says Mr. Colfax.

"A sort of ward of mine," answers the Colonel. "Drummer boy, financier,
strategist, in my Illinois campaign. Allow me to present to you, Major,
Mr. David Ritchie. When my men objected to marching through ice-skimmed
water up to their necks, Mr. Ritchie showed them how."

"God bless my soul!" exclaimed the Major, staring at me from under his
black eyebrows, "he was but a child."

"With an old head on his shoulders," said the Colonel, and his banter
made me flush.

The negro boy arriving with the toddy, Colonel Clark served out three
generous gourdfuls, a smaller one for me. "Your health, my friends, and
I drink to a peaceful settlement."

"You may drink to the devil if you like," says Major Colfax, glaring at
Tom.

"Come, Davy," said Colonel Clark, when he had taken half the gourd,
"let's have the tale. I'll warrant you're behind this."

I flushed again, and began by stammering. For I had a great fear that
Major Colfax's temper would fly into bits when he heard it.

"Well, sir," said I, "I was grinding corn at the mill when the man came.
I thought him a smooth-mannered person, and he did not give his business.
He was just for wheedling me. 'And was this McChesney's mill?' said he.
'Ay,' said I. 'Thomas McChesney?' 'Ay,' said I. Then he was all for
praise of Thomas McChesney. 'Where is he?' said he. 'He is at the far
pasture,' said I,' and may be looked for any moment.' Whereupon he sits
down and tries to worm out of me the business of the mill, the yield of
the land. After that he begins to talk about the great people he knows,
Sevier and Shelby and Roberts