he following
from the governor:

"Troops are at competitive drill in Mississippi. Have ordered them
home."

The Major stood leaning with his elbow on the top of the clerk's tall
desk. He looked again at the dispatch, reading it to himself, and about
him was the sound of shuffling feet.

"Well, it won't take them more than twenty-four hours to get home," he
said, "and that will be time enough. But Billy, we'd better not swear
out that warrant till they come."

"That's wise," said the Judge, a cautious man. "His followers would not
stand to see him taken in by the civil authorities; it's not showy
enough."

And Parker, speaking up, declared the Judge was right. "I ricollect the
militia come down here once durin' the days of the carpet-baggers,
and----"

"But let no one speak of the dispatch having been sent to the governor,"
said the Judge. "Billy, when the sheriff comes back you'd better tell
him to appoint forthwith at least a hundred deputies."

"In fact," the Major replied, "every law-abiding man in the county might
be declared a deputy."

Old Parker found his neighbor and nudged him. "I says to my wife,
'Nancy,' says I, 'whenever you want the right idee, go to John
Cranceford and you'll get it.'"

"That's all right, Uncle Parker," the irritated man replied. "I don't
give a continental and you needn't keep on coming to me with it."

"You don't? Then what sort of a man are you?"

"You boys quit your mowling over there," the county clerk commanded.

"Major," said the Judge, "the troops will doubtless come by boat and
land near your place. Don't you think it would be a good idea for you to
come over with them? The truth is you know our people are always more or
less prejudiced against militia, and it is therefore best to have a
well-known citizen come along with them."

"I don't know but that you are right," said the Major. "Yes, I will come
with them."

He bade the men good day and turned to go, and out into the hall the
Judge came following him. "By the way, Major," said he, "you are of
course willing to take all responsibility; and I'd a little rather you
wouldn't mention my name in connection with the militia's coming down
here, for the ordering out of troops is always looked upon as a sort of
snap judgment."

"I thought you said that you were not going to run for office again,"
the Major bluntly replied.

The Judge stammered and though the hall was but dimly lighted, the Major
saw that his fac