d the pliant hinges of the knee that thrift might follow fawning.
As fo' myself, two grandfathers who fought fo' our libuhties rest in the
soil of Virginia, and two uncles who fought in the Revolution sleep in
the land of the Dark and Bloody Ground. With such blood in my veins I
will nevuh, nevuh, nevuh submit to Northern rule and dictation. I will
risk all to be with the Southern people, and if defeated I can, with a
patriot of old, exclaim,

"'More true joy an exile feels
Than Caesuh with a Senate at his heels.'

"Aye, gentlemen! And we will not be defeated! Our rights are here and
are ours." He stretched his arm towards the Treasurer's strong-box, and
his enthusiastic audience rose at the rhetoric. "Contain yo'selves,
gentlemen," said the orator. "Twelve o'clock and our bill!"

"I've said my say," said Ballard, remaining seated.

"An' what'll ye do?" inquired Pete Cawthon from the agitated group.

"I forbid you to touch that!" shouted Ballard. He saw Wingo moving
towards the box.

"Gentlemen, do not resort--" began Gilet.

But small, iron-gray Hewley snatched his pistol from the box, and sat
down astraddle of it, guarding his charge. At this hostile movement the
others precipitated themselves towards the table where lay their
weapons, and Governor Ballard, whipping his own from his armhole, said,
as he covered the table: "Go easy, gentlemen! Don't hurt our Treasurer!"

"Don't nobody hurt anybody," said Specimen Jones, opening the door.

This prudent corporal had been looking in at a window and hearing
plainly for the past two minutes, and he had his men posted. Each member
of the Council stopped as he stood, his pistol not quite yet attained;
Ballard restored his own to its armhole and sat in his chair; little
Hewley sat on his box; and F. Jackson Gilet towered haughtily, gazing at
the intruding blue uniform of the United States.

"I'll hev to take you to the commanding officer," said Jones, briefly,
to Hewley. "You and yer box."

"Oh, my stars and stripes, but that's a keen move!" rejoiced Ballard to
himself. "He's arresting _us_."

[Illustration: "'DON'T NOBODY HURT ANYBODY,' SAID SPECIMEN JONES"]

In Jones's judgment, after he had taken in the situation, this had
seemed the only possible way to stop trouble without making any, and
therefore, even now, bayonets were not fixed. Best not ruffle Price's
Left Wing just now, if you could avoid it. For a new corporal it was
well thought and done.