m they would wear when they went to New Orleans to be sworn in;
but there was one among them who did not take much interest in the
proceedings. He did not say a great deal during the meeting, but when he
went home that night he remarked to his father:

"This partisan business is a humbug so far as this State is concerned."

"What makes you say that?" inquired Mr. Gray.

"Just this," answered Rodney. "Why didn't the governor swear us in
himself instead of telling us that we must wait for General Lacey to do
it? The General is a Confederate, not a State officer, and when he
musters us in it will be into the Confederate service."

This was not a pleasing prospect for the restless, ambitious young
fellow, who had confidently looked for something better, but he had gone
too far to back out. He had told his comrades that he intended to share
then fortunes, whatever they might be, and this was the time to make
good his words. If he had worked his men hard before, he worked them
harder now, devoting extra time and attention to the officers in order
to get them in shape to command the grand drill and dress parade that
was to come off as soon as their uniforms arrived.

In the meantime outside events were not overlooked. Everything pointed
to war, and news from all parts of the Confederacy bore evidence to the
fact that the seceded States were preparing for it, while the people of
the North stood with their hands in their pockets and looked on. Finally
the long-delayed explosion came, and the country was in an uproar from
one end to the other. Fort Sumter was fired upon and compelled to
surrender--fifty-one men against five thousand--and the Rangers shook
hands and patted one another on the back and declared that that was the
way they would serve the Yankees every time they met them. Then came
President Lincoln's War Proclamation, followed by the accession of four
States to the Confederacy, the blockade of the Southern sea-ports and
President Davis's offer to issue letters of marque and reprisal. All
this while the mails were regularly received, and Rodney Gray heard from
every one of the Barrington boys who had promised to enlist within
twenty-four hours after they reached home. They had all kept that
promise except Dixon, the tall Kentuckian, and he was getting ready as
fast as he could.

"I have been between a hoot and a whistle ever since I have been home,"
was what he wrote to Rodney Gray. "The State was divided against