e
dramatic simplicity of his appeal.

"Sergeant," he said, "if I do lead a force up there your Macabebes
will be where they belong--at the front of the column!"

He took the grateful salute and passing out between two rigid lines of
the stalwart little men he crossed the plaza to the Club.

Entering, he noted the unusual number of Stetsons that hung on the
hatrack, and passing inside, saw that the steward was guarding a score
of rifles and revolvers. For a moment he stood unnoticed by the groups
of determined men who occupied the round dining tables in parties of
four and five. Selecting the table occupied by Lindsey, he went in.

He felt the tension of the room increase as he entered. All looked up
with friendly word or nod, but from the manner in which they eyed him
and each other he knew that his coming and his purpose had been the
subject of their conversations. He sat down with Lindsey and his two
companions. One of these, O'Rourke, had been the pioneer hemp planter
and now enjoyed a big income; the other, a nervous, hasty young fellow
named Boynton, had borne a reputation as a squawman that had deprived
him of intimacy with his own kind, but had recently put his house in
order and rehabilitated himself with those who found decency in clean
living.

In an effort to relieve the atmosphere of constraint the three
planters attempted conversation, but it fell dead, and each applied
himself to his dinner. The Major's eyes roved over the crowded room,
then bored Lindsey's.

"This is the biggest crowd I ever saw in the Club," he suggested,
tentatively.

All understood the question in his words, but none answered. Suddenly
Boynton flushed with the hot rush of temper to which he was subject.

"Yes," he exclaimed defiantly, "and it's a good crowd, too! A crowd
that's got guts! We're going to have a look at those Hills!"

Lindsey had tried to stop him, but nothing could halt the impetuous
Boynton. O'Rourke snorted disgustedly: "Lave it to Bhoynton to shpill
the banes!"

With Boynton's outburst the Major tightened. These determined men were
hard to handle. He glanced around the room into the faces turned
toward him: Boynton's tense voice had carried throughout the room and
all of the planters had twisted about in their chairs to face him.
They knew the showdown was at hand, were ready to support Boynton's
declaration of their purpose.

The Major turned to Boynton: "You aim to leave forty or fifty more
good Ameri