ought by a deputy sheriff, and he said that he had
ridden hard all the way and was in a great hurry to get back. Let's see
what old Billy has to say." And now having put on his spectacles, he
read aloud the following:

"Marcus T. Berry, sheriff of this the county of Cranceford, in the
State of Arkansas, did on this day seek to break up a den of negro
gamblers at Sassafras, in the before mentioned county of
Cranceford, and State as above set forth, and while in the
discharge of his duty, was then and there fired upon and so
desperately wounded that in his home in the town of Brantly, seat
of the said county of Cranceford, State as before mentioned, he now
lies at the point of death. The negroes claimed that they were not
gambling, but engaged in lawful merchandise; but be that as it may,
the sheriff and his posse were there and then fired upon, and
besides the wounding of the sheriff, two men were killed outright,
to-wit, one James Mattox and one Leon Smyers, and the same were
left there. The sheriff managed to make his escape, albeit he was
followed and repeatedly fired upon. And be it known that the report
now reaches here that the atrocity did not cease with the firing on
of the sheriff's posse, but that a sharp fight afterward took place
between negroes and white men near by; and we are now informed that
a strong force of negroes, at the instance of one Mayo, is now
gathering in the southwestern part of the county, preparatory to a
march upon this, the seat of the county of Cranceford. Therefore,
it behooves all good citizens to meet in the before mentioned town
for the defense of life and property, as it is here that the blow
is to fall.

William N. Haines,

Clerk of the County of Cranceford, in the State of Arkansas."

Scarcely observing a pause the Major had read the letter, and no word of
surprise had been spoken by his listeners; and now in silence they
looked at one another, Gid with his mouth open, Sanders with an
expression of pain.

"Well," said the Major, "that settles it."

"By jove," the Englishman burst out, "I should rather say unsettles it.
I can't conceive of a settlement on that basis, you know. Those blacks
are positively annoying. First they punch a hole in my bath and then
they fire on a sheriff's party. I should call it a most extraordinary
approach toward the settle