thousand dollars."

The lawyer was whittling on a piece of pine meditatively.

"That's a big lot of money in these hard times. I'd like to own it, but
I'm afraid it wouldn't be good at the bank on the other side. I prefer the
green fields of South Carolina to those of Eden. My harp isn't in tune."

Stoneman snorted in disgust:

"Will you ask the Mayor to call to see me at once?"

"We ain't got none," was the laconic answer.

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you heard what happened to his Honour last night?"

"No."

"The Klan called to see him," went on the lawyer with a quizzical look "at
3 A. M. Rather early for a visit of state. They gave him forty-nine lashes
on his bare back, and persuaded him that the climate of Piedmont didn't
agree with him. His Honour, Mayor Bizzel, left this morning with his negro
wife and brood of mulatto children for his home, the slums of Cleveland,
Ohio. We are deprived of his illustrious example, and he may not be a
wiser man than when he came, but he's a much sadder one."

Stoneman dismissed the even-tempered member of the bar, and wired Lynch to
return immediately to Piedmont. He determined to conduct the prosecution
of Ben Cameron in person. With the aid of the Lieutenant-Governor he
succeeded in finding a man who would dare to swear out a warrant against
him.

As a preliminary skirmish he was charged with a violation of the statutory
laws of the United States relating to Reconstruction and arraigned before
a Commissioner.

Against Elsie's agonizing protest, old Stoneman appeared at the courthouse
to conduct the prosecution.

In the absence of the United States Marshal, the warrant had been placed
in the hands of the sheriff, returnable at ten o'clock on the morning
fixed for the trial. The new sheriff of Ulster was no less a personage
than Uncle Aleck, who had resigned his seat in the House to accept the
more profitable one of High Sheriff of the County.

There was a long delay in beginning the trial. At 10:30 not a single
witness summoned had appeared, nor had the prisoner seen fit to honour the
court with his presence.

Old Stoneman sat fumbling his hands in nervous, sullen rage, while Phil
looked on with amusement.

"Send for the sheriff," he growled to the Commissioner.

In a moment Aleck appeared bowing humbly and politely to every white man
he passed. He bent halfway to the floor before the Commissioner and said:

"Marse Ben be here in er minute, sah. He's er e