True To His Colors

nded even to the military academy, but everybody there knew what caused it, although they could not look far enough into the future to see what th

nderground railroad business," but he looked thoughtful and angry

embers of that Committee of Safety are going to be sorry they ever thought of getting up such an organization when there wasn't

you ought to be slapped for preaching them up the way you do; but I'll not stand by and

ley and the rest ought to be ashamed of themselves for

served Dick. "Where wou

as should b

Graham. To say that they were angry wouldn't half express it. Dixon was strongly in favor of calling for volunteers that very afternoon, paying a visit of ceremony to Bud and Silas, and te

nd railroad bus

't know about it until it was all over. If Bud wants revenge, let him thra

ith Rodney?" said Bi

ion, and every one noticed that he seemed ill at ease. When his n

imself to speak," said Billings.

an idea to some loon, who told Goble that this school needs looking after. I don't pretend to deny it. I say that every disunionist in it ought

of men, who attempted violence toward any of their number would surely suffer for it. There was one among them who had not looked for this condition of affairs, who was utt

held to their opinions with as great tenacity, the negroes outnumbered the whites more than five to one, and what was there to hinder them from striking a blow for the freedom that would be sure to come to them if the people of the North made up their minds that secession ought to be resisted by force of arms? Might it not be possible that the townspeople were justified, after all, in calling that meeting; that they had some information

bed the fence and set out for Barrington, and although they came back fully satisfie

al. I couldn't get a thing out of any man I saw, so I called on the Taylor girls, who told me the committee has positive evidence that there is to be an uprising among the negroes, led by such men as Elder

have a squabbl

of it. Of course there are a few who are mad about it, but the majority of the folks I talked with think Bud was se

ck, there were no indications of the hubbub and confusion that one of them was destined to create before he was relieved at midnight. Dick thought it a part of his duty to keep watch of the town as well as over a portion of the school grounds, and when he stopped to rest,

hought Dick. "Ca

the gate without causing the iron latch to click, and ran across the road until he came to the fence on the opposite side. This brought him out of range of a clump of trees that obstructed his vision at the g

ous!" rep

was standing on end, and then hastened back to his post,

aze," said Dick, when the non-commissioned officer came

!" exclaimed

now, look over that way, and tell me if

ough them, and although the corporal bent almost to the ground and twisted himself into all sorts of

did not tell the corporal that he had been several yards from his post wh

was enough to satisfy him. When

you live," said he. "That's righ

," replied the sentry. "Looks

corporal incredulously. "Th

e secession

l, I

y. "It's Union property that's being destroyed this moment, and

their ears, they could not catch a word that gave them a hint of the course they had decided to pursue. But they found out when the long roll echoed through the building, being followed almost immediately by a shuffling of feet which announced that the students were hastening to the armory. After five minutes or so of silence so deep that Dick could hear the beating of his own hea

idges?" inq

halt a fellow and he don't halt, these

g around a minute; I want t

tarted with the corporal to make his round of the posts, an

to be hanged without judge or jury, were destroying property in town, and it was our business to put a stop to it if we could. He sent

y who those fanatic

idn't. We all kn

are t

he United State

bout to turn away. "I ask for information; I do i

e he does. That's what we al

e breeze there is stirring blows toward us from town, doe

and Dick thought he was reluctant

ng his beat. "On a still night like this you can hear those big church bells four or five miles,

ith their hands in their pockets, making no effort to keep the flames from spreading to the house of another Union man close by; and that Mr. Riley and a few other members of the Committee of Safety, who appeared to be full of business, but who, in reality, were doing just nothing at all, looked surprised and perplexed when the students marched up and came to a halt at the corner of the street. There was still another thing that the observant Dixon noticed and commented upon, and t

n," said Mr. Riley, who was the first man to m

ed the captain, in significant tones. "If I may presume to ask the question, how does it come that yon are on the ground

Mr. Riley sharply. "And the reason those engines are not playing on the flames is because they

t looks to me,

you goin

, which are to protect property," answered the captain. "I s

ed Mr. Riley. "You don'

rk because they are out of order, and a big crowd like this stands about without lifting a finger to save anything when all these things happen, it makes me suspect that there are firebugs around, and that they are

n Wilson," shouted some

er arrest, but not foolish enough to try to find out who he was. He knew

the details were quickly made, and so it came about that Dixon and five others, including a non-commissioned officer, found themselves guar

e stepped upon the porch that ran in front of old man Bailey

ce from the inside of the s

too, if you will give us some candy to eat while we are doing it.

ked for anything like this. Being on the watch he knew when the fire in town broke out, and believing that Bud Goble was at work, he began patroling his store with his revolver in his han

h you," said he. "I never saw such an

ow tell me all you know about this business. I'm here to guard your property

tand," answered Mr. Bailey. "But Bud might take it into his crazy

y taken the position assigned him befo

hat's Bud. If it isn't, what is he sneakin

re that he'll never trouble you again. If he doesn't tell a

it was the sound of his footsteps that frightened Bud and his companion in

tch, old fellow," said he, as h

s Dixon's answer. "

was

ized his voice; but I don't

hit eithe

ey were not. They both ran away, so I reckon they were innocent of

of Bud and his friend. They had taken themselves safely off. Just as he got back

said the corporal. "The captain has

xon had obeyed orders. His men had been commanded to halt everybody who came near their beat, and to fire upon all who did not come in and give an account of

can send somebody else in command the next time he finds it necessary to order out a company of students. These are terrible times, corp

that they can't be much worse

aptain sadly. "I don't think you will be troubled again to-night,

were any), the boys did not know; but when daylight came and the sentries were called in, and the column formed preparatory to marching b

sure's you're born,"

is elbow. "I saw that the minute Mr. Riley came up and spoke to

at Committee of Safety down on us, and they are the best men in town. They wouldn't even look a

carried out our orders, let 'em get. If their arrangements have been interfered

wants to send any more boys into town on an errand like

of the students who were close e

rning comrades, who marched to the armory looking more like culprits than like boys

this, I'd be pleased to

ho were the first to g

doesn't the colonel pat

ne, litt

as relieved, a delegation from that Committee of Safety

t from the first. Some of the fellows declare they'll not go another time, but I w

ad a lesson of some kind. He looks as though he had lost his best friend. Heigh-o!" he added, stret

king and filling on both sides couldn't last much longer, and the first thing they kn

esson he had received the night before. During the day it leaked out that Mr. Riley and his friends had talked to him very plainly, told him that it was absolutely necessary for the peace and safety of the town that the Union men sho

e of contempt. "I believe I'll go home. I don't care to serve u

nxiety, and would certainly have carried away with him a bet