ought of that discrimination, but now it burned
him.

He returned to his school and before many days had passed he had
called together all the male students. He informed them that they
ought to perfect a secret organization and have a password. They all
agreed to secrecy and Belton gave this as the pass word: "Equality or
Death."

He then told them that it was his ambition and purpose to coerce the
white teachers into allowing the colored teacher to eat with them.
They all very readily agreed; for the matter of his eating had been
thoroughly canvassed for a number of sessions, but it seemed as though
no one dared to suggest a combination. During slavery all combinations
of slaves were sedulously guarded against, and a fear of combinations
seems to have been injected into the Negro's very blood.

The very boldness of Belton's idea swept the students away from the
lethargic harbor in which they had been anchored, and they were eager
for action. Belton was instructed to prepare the complaint, which they
all agreed to sign. They decided that it was to be presented to the
president just before devotional exercises and an answer was to be
demanded forthwith. One of the young men had a sister among the young
lady students, and, through her Belton's rebellion was organized among
the girls and their signatures secured.

The eventful morning came. The teachers glanced over the assembled
students, and were surprised to see them dressed in their best clothes
as though it was the Sabbath. There was a quiet satisfied look on
their faces that the teachers did not understand.

The president arrived a little late and found an official envelope
on his desk. He hurriedly broke the seal and began to read. His color
came and went. The teachers looked at him wonderingly. The president
laid the document aside and began the devotional exercises. He was
nervous throughout, and made several blunders. He held his hymn book
upside down while they were singing, much to the amusement of the
school. It took him some time to find the passage of scripture which
he desired to read, and after reading forgot for some seconds to call
on some one to pray.

When the exercises were through he arose and took the document
nervously in hand. He said; "I have in my hands a paper from the
students of this institution concerning a matter with which they have
nothing to do. This is my answer. The classes will please retire."
Here he gave three strokes to the