But he choked down his passion. The mountaineer was not lacking
in cunning.
"Your father and his friends killed some of my men," he said. "I ain't
here now to argy with you about the rights an' wrongs of it, but I want
to tell you that all the people of the mountains are up for the Union.
With them from the lowlands that are the same way, we'll chase you
rebels, Jeff Davis and all, clean into the Gulf of Mexico."
Harry deliberately turned his head away, and stared out of a window
at the green of lawns and trees. Skelly filled him with abhorrence.
He felt as if he were in the presence of a creeping panther, and he
would have nothing more to say to him. Skelly looked at him for a few
minutes longer, drew himself together in the manner of a savage wild
beast about to spring, but relaxed the next moment, laughed softly,
and strode out of the chamber.
"That's one of your men," said Harry. "I hope you're proud of him."
"All the mountain people are for us," replied Dick judicially, "and we
can't help it if some of the rascals are on our side. You're likely to
have men just as bad on yours. I heard about the attack he made upon
Uncle George's house, but it was war, I suppose, and this which we have
here in Frankfort is only an armed truce.
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