Mahlon Butts,
who had been a vigorous and consistent Union man all through the war. He
could be neither convinced nor intimidated, and his consistency won for
him the respect of his neighbours. But when the carpet-baggers made
their appearance, and Mahlon Butts began to fraternise with them, he was
ostracised along with the rest.

It soon became necessary for the whites to take counsel together, and
Shady Dale became, as it had been before the war, the Mecca of the
various leaders. Before the war, the politicians of both parties were in
the habit of meeting at Shady Dale, enjoying the barbecues for which the
town was famous, and taking advantage of the occasion to lay out the
programme of the campaign. And now, when it was necessary to organise a
white man's party, the leaders turned their eyes and their steps to
Shady Dale.

Then it was that Gabriel had an opportunity to see Toombs, and Stephens,
and Hill, and Herschel V. Johnson--he who was on the national ticket
with Douglas in 1860--and other men who were to become prominent later.
There were some differences of opinion to be settled. A few of the
leaders had advised the white voters to take no part in the political
farce which Congress had arranged, but to leave it all to the negroes
and the aliens, especially as so many of the white voters had been
disfranchised, or were labouring under political disabilities. Others,
on the contrary, advised the white voters to qualify as rapidly as
possible. It was this difference of opinion that remained to be settled,
so far as Georgia was concerned.

It was Gabriel's acquaintance with Mr. Stephens that first fired his
ambition. Here was a frail, weak man, hardly able to stand alone, who
had been an invalid all his life, and yet had won renown, and by his
wisdom and conservatism had gained the confidence and esteem of men of
all parties and of all shades of opinion. His willpower and his energy
lifted him above his bodily weakness and ills, and carried him through
some of the most arduous campaigns that ever occurred in Georgia, where
heated canvasses were the rule and not the exception. Watching him
closely, and noting his wonderful vivacity and cheerfulness, Gabriel
Tolliver came to the conclusion that if an invalid could win fame a
strong healthy lad should be able to make his mark.

It fell out that Gabriel attracted the attention of Mr. Stephens, who
was always partial to young men. He made the lad sit near him, drew