hey would stay and guard them all night. It was rather a
troublesome elephant and he did not quite know what to do with it now
it was in his possession. It was a good chance to do something if he
would be sustained, but General Saxton has not conferred any
magisterial powers[138] on the superintendents yet, and if he
undertook too much and was not sustained, it would be worse than
nothing. At any rate, he would have to take them to the village in the
morning, so he decided to do so that night, and went off with his
prisoners and their guard, driving his light sulky, and carrying the
light arms, one of the men taking the musket again. He did not use the
hand-cuffs.

It was strange to see how very quiet and apparently unexcited the
people were. After the first few minutes they came up to me to buy,
and then all went off when C. did, as quickly as possible.

_July 5._ When two buckra were reported as approaching while we were
at breakfast it turned out to be two men from the village picket with
a note from the Lieutenant to C. I did not find out the sequel to the
story the other night, but it seems that C. and William crossed the
creek with the soldiers, only taking two men to row. The blacks
certainly behaved extremely well, and Moll told the men they might
have the corn, which of course they refused to take. And as they went
into the boat a boy put in the watermelon they had taken, saying,
"B'longs to you, sah," but the man sent it ashore. The coals were
rather hot, I guess, and the men were heartily ashamed of themselves
and thoroughly penitent. C. went with them to the mess-room and saw
the sergeant, who expressed great regret and said it was the first
time any of their men had been guilty of such acts. The Lieutenant was
away, and as C. drew paper towards him to report the case in writing,
they looked very blank and begged him not to report. After some
consideration he concluded not to report them, as he could not see the
Lieutenant and they had behaved so well about it, and told them he
would not unless some further acts of the kind were perpetrated by
their men. They were very grateful, but C. did not feel sure that the
Lieutenant would not hear of it. And so he did, in some way;
investigated the affair and sent the men to Beaufort to be punished by
the Commander of the post, who is now not General Saxton but, as it
happens, is their own Colonel,[139] who is not likely to be lenient
towards them. The Lieutenant se