h!"

"Fudge! squire," replied Captain Barney, contemptuously. "If your friend
Jeff Davis should come to Massachusetts to-morrow, to preach a crusade
against the North, and to raise an army to destroy the free institutions
of the country, I suppose you think it would be an outrage upon free
speech to put him down. We don't think so. Up with the flag, squire."

"Fred, you may hang the flag out at the front window up stairs," said the
squire to his son.

"All right, squire. Now a few words more, and we bid you good night. You
may _think_ what you please, but if you utter another word of treason in
Pinchbrook during the term of your natural life, the party outside will
carry out the rest of the programme."

By this time Fred Pemberton had fastened the flag to one of his mother's
clothes poles, and suspended it out of the window over the porch. It was
hailed with three tremendous cheers by the multitude who were in waiting
to discipline the squire, and exorcise the evil spirit of treason and
secession.

The work of the evening was finished, not wholly to the satisfaction,
perhaps, of a portion of the younger members of the assemblage, who would
gladly have joined in the work of pillage and destruction, but much to the
gratification of the older and steadier portion of the crowd, who were
averse to violent proceedings.

CHAPTER IV.

THE COMMITTEE COME OUT, AND TOM GOES IN.

While the committee which the loyal citizens of Pinchbrook had appointed
to conduct their case with Squire Pemberton were in the house, engaged in
bringing the traitor to terms, the younger members of the assemblage were
very impatient to know how matters were progressing. Thomas Somers was
particularly anxious to have the affair brought to a crisis. In vain he
and a few other of the young loyalists attempted to obtain a view of the
interior of the house, where the exciting interview was in progress.

Captain Barney, on shore as well as at sea, was a thorough disciplinarian.
Of course, he was aware that his proceedings were technically illegal;
that in forcing himself into the house of the squire he was breaking the
law of the land; but it seemed to him to be one of those cases where
prompt action was necessary, and the law was too tardy to be of any
service. He was, however, determined that the business should be done with
as little violence as possible, and he had instructed the citizens at the
bridge to do no needless injury to the pro