"

As Farnham disappeared, the chief magistrate of the city tilted his hat
to one side, shut an eye with profoundly humorous significance, and
said to the two or three loungers who had been enjoying the scene:

"That is the sort of T-rail I am. That young gentleman voted agin me,
on the ground I wasn't high-toned enough."

Farnham walked rapidly to the office of the evening newspaper. He found
a man in the counting-room, catching flies and trimming their wings
with a large pair of office shears. He said, "Can you put an
advertisement for me in your afternoon editions?"

The man laid down his shears, but held on to his fly, and looked at his
watch.

"Have you got it ready?"

"No, but I will not be a minute about it."

"Be lively! You haven't got but a minute."

He picked up his scissors and resumed his surgery, while Farnham wrote
his advertisement. The man took it, and threw it into a tin box, blew a
whistle, and the box disappeared through a hole in the ceiling. A few
minutes later the boys were crying the paper in the streets. The
advertisement was in these words:

"Veterans, Attention! All able-bodied veterans of the Army of the
Potomac, and especially of the Third Army Corps, are requested to meet
at seven this evening, at No. -- Public Square."

From the newspaper office Farnham went to a gunsmith's. The dealer was
a German and a good sportsman, whom Farnham knew very well, having
often shot with him in the marshes west of the city. His name was
Leopold Grosshammer. There were two or three men in the place when
Farnham entered. He waited until they were gone, and then said:

"Bolty, have you two dozen repeating rifles?"

"Ja wohl! Aber, Herr Gott, was machen Sie denn damit?"

"I don't know why I shouldn't tell you. They think there may be a riot
in town, and they tell me at the City Hall that everybody must look out
for himself. I am going to try to get up a little company of old
soldiers for patrol duty."

"All right, mine captain, and I will be the first freiwilliger. But I
don't dink you wants rifles. Revolvers and clubs--like the pleecemen--
dat's de dicket."

"Have you got them?"

"Oh, yes, and the belts thereto. I got der gondract to furnish 'em to
de city."

"Then you will send them, wrapped up in bundles, to my office in the
Square, and come yourself there at seven."

"Freilich," said Leopold, his white teeth glistening through his yellow
beard at the prospect of service.

Farnham