ere's but one gal in the
Dale. You know that as well as I do. She never has had her match, and
she'll never have one. And it's funny, too; no matter which way you
spell her first name, backwards or forwards, it spells the same. Did you
ever think of that, Tolliver? But for Vallic--you know my daughter,
don't you?--I never would have found it out in the world."

Gabriel laughed somewhat sheepishly, wondering all the time how Major
Perdue could think and talk of such trivial matters, in the face of the
spectacle they had just witnessed.

"Well, you deserve good luck, my boy," the Major went on. "Everybody
that knows you is singing your praises--some for your book-learning,
some for your modesty, and some for the way you ferreted out the designs
of that fellow who was last to leave the church."

"I'm sure I don't deserve any praise," protested Gabriel.

"Continue to feel that way, and you'll get all the more," observed the
Major, sententiously. "But for you these dirty thieves might have got
the best of us. Why, we didn't know, even at Halcyondale, what was up
till we got word of your discovery. Well, sir, as soon as we found out
what was going on, we got together, and wiped 'em up. Why, you've got
the pokiest crowd over here I ever heard of. They just sit and sun
themselves, and let these white devils do as they please. When they do
wake up, the white rascals will be gone, and then they'll take their
spite out of the niggers--and the niggers ain't no more to blame for all
this trouble than a parcel of two-year-old children. You mark my words:
the niggers will suffer, and these white rascals will go scot-free. Why
don't the folks here wake up? They can't be afraid of the Yankee
soldiers, can they? Why the Captain here is a rank Democrat in politics,
and a right down clever fellow."

"He is a clever gentleman," Gabriel assented. "I have met him walking
about in the woods, and I like him very much. He is a Kentuckian, and
he's not fond of these carpet-baggers and scalawags at all. But I never
told anybody before that he is a good friend of mine. You know how they
are, especially the women--they hate everything that's clothed in blue."

"Well, by George! you are the only person in the place that keeps his
eyes open, and finds out things. You saw that rascal talking to the
niggers awhile ago, didn't you? Well, he's the worst of the lot. He has
been preaching his social equality doctrine over in our town, but I
happened t