the facts, with an intimation that his
continuance in the school would depend upon a rigid investigation of the
circumstances, when he was aroused by the clatter of horses' hoofs. The
next moment the school-house was surrounded by a dozen men.

He looked up; half of them dismounted and entered the room. The other
half remained outside darkening the windows with their motionless
figures. Each man carried a gun before him on the saddle; each man wore
a rude mask of black cloth partly covering his face.

Although the master was instinctively aware that he was threatened by
serious danger, he was far from being impressed by the arms and disguise
of his mysterious intruders. On the contrary, the obvious and glaring
inconsistency of this cheaply theatrical invasion of the peaceful
school-house; of this opposition of menacing figures to the scattered
childish primers and text-books that still lay on the desks around him,
only extracted from him a half scornful smile as he coolly regarded
them. The fearlessness of ignorance is often as unassailable as the
most experienced valor, and the awe-inspiring invaders were at first
embarrassed and then humanly angry. A lank figure to the right made a
forward movement of impotent rage, but was checked by the evident leader
of the party.

"Ef he likes to take it that way, there ain't no Regulators law agin it,
I reckon," he said, in a voice which the master instantly recognized as
Jim Harrison's, "though ez a gin'ral thing they don't usually find it
FUN." Then turning to the master he added, "Mister Ford, ef that's the
name you go by everywhere, we're wantin' a man about your size."

Ford knew that he was in hopeless peril. He knew that he was physically
defenceless and at the mercy of twelve armed and lawless men. But he
retained a preternatural clearness of perception, and audacity born
of unqualified scorn for his antagonists, with a feminine sharpness of
tongue. In a voice which astonished even himself by its contemptuous
distinctness, he said: "My name IS Ford, but as I only SUPPOSE your name
is Harrison perhaps you'll be fair enough to take that rag from your
face and show it to me like a man."

The man removed the mask from his face with a slight laugh.

"Thank you," said Ford. "Now, perhaps you will tell me which one of you
gentlemen broke into the school-house, forced the lock of my desk,
and stole my papers. If he is here I wish to tell him he is not only a
thief, but a c