LOUIS GAZED AT THE FACE, WONDERING IF HE HAD NOT SEEN THE MAN BEFORE 222 THE MARCH TO THIS PRISON WAS ONE LOUIS NEVER FORGOT 324 AWAY ANDY TROTTED AT A BRISK PACE 340 “KEEP ON AS YOU HAVE STARTED, AND WHO KNOWS BUT THAT YOU WILL ONE DAY BE WEARING A GENERAL’S SHOULDER-STRAPS?” 386 THEN ON SWEPT THE UNION LINE, YELLING WITH A VOICE THAT IS NEVER HEARD ANYWHERE BUT ON THE BATTLEFIELD 400 “I’LL DIE WITH HIM BEFORE I’LL DO IT!” 426 DEFENDING HIS FLAG CHAPTER I SIGNS OF WAR “Hello, Louis! Want to ride to the depot with me? I am going to bring father home.” “Certainly, Andy, I’ll go along. Do you expect your father on the eleven o’clock train?” “He wrote he would most likely be back on that, if he could get away from Washington. He said everything was in such a state of excitement it was impossible to talk business.” “I suppose that is true,” returned Louis Rockford, as he hopped up on the seat of the wagon, beside his chum. “My father wrote me that it looked as if war must come after all. What a shame Congress can’t settle this matter peaceably.” “It could, if the Northerners would give us Southerners a chance,” burst out Andy Arlington, as he gave the horse a flick with the whip and sent the animal down the rocky road on a gallop. “The whole trouble is the Northern States want to interfere with our rights, and we won’t have it.” “I thought the trouble was about the slaves.” “Well, you can put it that way if you want to. The Southern States own their slaves and have a right to do with them as they please.” “I don’t think the negroes ought to be slaves, Andy.” “I don’t know about that. We have got to have help to run the cotton and tobacco plantations, and I reckon most of the colored people are better off now than they would be if they were free. Just look at the free negroes idling about. They are not worth their salt.” “That may be true. Still, I don’t believe any human being ought to be a slave--it’s barbarous!” “There’s another thing,” added Andy, with a second flick of the whip. “Years ago--and not so many, either--the Northern States had slaves, and when they got rid of ’em, what did they do? Sold most of ’em to the planters down South. Now those same people want to stop us from using those slaves as we please.” “I don’t believe they want to do that, exactly, Andy. They want to stop the extension of slavery.” “It amounts to the same thing.” “No, it doesn’t.” “I say it does. The Northern States want to dictate to us--and we won’t have it--father says so, and Mr. Carroll, and Doctor Barnsby, and all of them--and they ought to know.”