nd not a Home Guard. There must be some patriotic rich man in this
country who will do for me what Mr. Randolph promised to do, and I'm
going to see if I can find him. By gracious? I believe I'll try Mr.
Gray. They say he hasn't done much of anything for the company, but
perhaps he will if he's asked."

No; Mr. Gray had not been buying votes for his son, for he did not
believe in doing business that way. According to his ideas of right and
wrong the company officers ought to go to those who were best qualified
to fill them; and he didn't want Rodney to have any position unless the
Rangers thought him worthy of it. But he was prompt to respond to all
appeals for aid, and so it came about that in less than a week Tom
Randolph's friends had all been received back into the company, and it
was reported that six of them were to be mounted and armed at Mr. Gray's
expense.

"That's to pay 'em for voting Rodney in for first duty sergeant,"
snapped Tom, when he heard the news. "I'd go without office before I
would have my father do things in that barefaced way. And as for those
who are willing to accept pay for their votes, they ought to be heartily
ashamed of themselves."

"Never mind," said Mr. Randolph, soothingly. "There is no need that a
young man in your circumstances should go into the army as private, and
I don't mean that you shall do it. I'll make it my business to call on
the governor and see if he can't find a berth for you."

"But remember that it must be a military appointment," said Tom. "No
clerkship or anything of that sort for me."

While the Rangers were working hard to get themselves in shape for the
field, Captain Hubbard and his lieutenants had received their
commissions and been duly sworn into the State militia. Nothing was
said, however, about swearing in the company, and when Captain Hubbard
called the governor's attention to the omission the latter replied:

"General Lacey is the man to look after such matters as that. He's in
New Orleans and you may be ordered to report to him there."

"How about our uniforms?" asked the captain.

"Do as you please about uniforms so long as you conform to the army
regulations. Of course your arms and equipments will be furnished you,
and the government will allow you sixty cents a day for the use of your
horses."

The most of the Rangers thought this was all right, and Captain Hubbard
at once called a business meeting of the company to decide upon the
unifor