CHAPTER XLVIII. LYNCH LAW.

llleadtoperfectanarchyandconfusion.Thetimemaycomewhenyouropinionswillbeasunpopularasmine." "Well,whatthen?" "Why,ifyourcourseprevails,youmustbelynched,stoned,tarred,andfeathered.Thisisatwo-edgedswordyouareusing,andsomedayyoumayfindtheedgeturnedtowardsyou.Youmaybeseized,justasyouareseizingme.YouknowthementhatthrewDanielintothedengotthrowninthemselves." "Danielwho?"shoutedoneofthecompanyandtheyoungmenunderthetreelaughedinsultingly. "Whyareyouafraidtoletmepreach,thisevening?"saidfatherDickson."Whycan'tyouhearme,and,ifIsayanythingfalse,whycan'tyoushowmethefalsehoodofit?Itseemstomeit'saweakcausethatcanonlygetalongbystoppingmen'smouths." "No,no—wean'tgoingtohaveit!"saidthemanwhohadtakenthemostactivepart."Andnowyou'vegottosignasolemnpromise,thisnight,thatyouwon'teveropenyourmouthagainaboutthisyersubject,orwe'llmakeitworseforyou!" "Ishallnevermakesuchapromise.Youneednotthinktoterrifymeintoit,forIamnotafraid.Youmustkillmebeforeyoucanstopme." "D—nyou,then,oldman,"saidoneoftheyoungmen,ridingupbythesideofhim,"I'lltellyouwhatyoushalldo!YoushallsignapledgetoleaveNorthCarolinainthreedays,andnevercomebackagain,andtakeyourwholespawnandlitterwithyou,oryoushallbechastisedforyourimpudence!Now,lookout,sir,foryouarespeakingtoyourbetters!Yourinsolenceisintolerable!Whatbusinesshaveyoupassingstricturesreflectingontheconductofgentlemenoffamily?Thinkyourselfhappythatweletyougooutofthestatewithoutthepunishmentthatyourimpudencedeserves!" "Mr.Gordon,Iamsorrytohearyouspeakinginthatway,"saidFatherDickson,composedly."Byrightofyourfamily,youcertainlyoughttoknowhowtospeakasagentleman.Youareholdinglanguagetomethatyouhavenorighttohold,andutteringthreatsthatyouhavenomeansofenforcing." "You'llseeifIhaven't!"repliedtheother,withanoath."Here,boys!" Hebeckonedoneortwooftheleaderstohisside,andspokewiththeminalowvoice.Oneofthemseemedinclinedtoremonstrate. "No,no—it'stoobad!"hesaid. Buttheotherssaid,— "Yes,itserveshimright!We'lldoit!Hurra,boys!We'llhelpontheparsonhome,andhelphimkindlehisfire!" Therewasageneralshout,asthewholeparty,strikinguparibaldsong,seizedfatherDickson'shorse,turnedhimround,andbeganmarchinginthedirectionofhiscabininthewoods. TomGordonandhiscompanions,whorodeforemost,filledtheairwithblasphemousandobscenesongs,whichentirelydrownedthevoiceoffatherDicksonwheneverheattemptedtomakehimselfheard.Beforetheystarted,TomGordonhaddistributedfreelyofwhiskeyamongthem,sothatwhatlittlemanlinesstheremighthavebeenwithinseemedtobe"setonfireofhell."Itwasoneofthosemomentsthattrymen'ssouls. FatherDickson,ashewashurriedalong,thoughtofthatotherone,whowasledbyaninfuriatemobthroughthestreetsofJerusalem,andheliftedhisheartinprayertotheApostleandHighPriestofhisprofession,theGodinJesus.Whentheyarrivedbeforehislittlecabin,hemadeonemoreefforttoarresttheirattention. "Mybrethren,"hesaid. "Noneofyourbrethren!Stopthatcant!"saidTomGordon. "Hearmeoneword,"saidfatherDickson."Mywifeisquitefeeble.I'msureyouwouldn'twishtohurtasickwoman,whoneverdidharmtoanymortalcreature." "Well,then,"saidTomGordon,facingroundtohim,"ifyoucaresoverymuchaboutyourwife,youcanveryeasilysaveheranyfurthertrouble.Justgiveusthepromisewewant,andwe'llgoawaypeaceably,andleaveyou.But,ifyouwon't,astrueasthereisaGodinheaven,we'llpulldowneverystickoftimberinyouroldkennel!I'lltellyouwhat,oldman,you'vegotamastertodealwith,now!" "Icannotpromisenottopreachuponthissubject." "Well,then,youmustpromisetotakeyourselfoutofthestate.Youcangoamongyournorthernbrethren,andhowlandmawlroundtherebutwearenotgoingtohaveyouhere.IhaveasmuchrespectforrespectableministersoftheGospelasanyone,whentheyconfinethemselvestothedutiesoftheircallingbut,whentheycomedowntobeintriguinginourworldlyaffairs,theymustexpecttobetreatedaswetreatotherfolksthatdothat.Theirblackcoatsshan'tprotectthem!Wearenotgoingtobepriest-ridden,arewe,boys?" Aloudwhoopofinflamedanddrunkenmerrimentchorusedthisquestion.Justatthismomentthedoorofthecottagewasopened,andapale,sickly-lookingwomancameglidingouttothegate. "Mydear,"shesaid,andhervoicewasperfectlycalm,"don'tyieldahair'sbreadth,onmyaccount.Icanbearaswellasyou.Iamnotafraid.Iamreadytodieforconscience'sake.Gentlemen,"shesaid,"thereisnotmuchinthishouseofanyvalue,excepttwosickchildren.Ifitisagreeabletoyoutopullitdown,youcandoit.Ourgoodsarehardlyworthspoiling,butyoucanspoilthem.Myhusband,befirmdon'tyieldaninch!" Itisoneoftheworstcursesofslaverythatiteffacesfromthebreastallmanlyfeelingwithregardtowoma