"'Leggo me,' he says; 'I tell you, leggo me, Zeke Scraggs. I'm goin' to have my revenge. I'm goin' to take ten cases of giant powder and blow the mill of Honorable John Lawson Davis, Member of Congress, Champion Double-Jointed, Ground-and-Lofty, Collar-and-Elbow, Skin and Liar, so high in the air that folks'll think there's a new comet, predictin' war and trouble.' "'William,' I says 'you ain't goin' to do no such thing--that's wicked, that is.' I tried to speak stern, but this here Christmas hadn't amounted to much so far, and I never had seen a stamp mill blew up, so I couldn't help wonderin' how it would look. "'See here!' says he, 'I'll admit many a time you've licked me in a friendly way, Ezekiel, and I'm obliged to you; but, now, be you, or ben't you, my guest?' "'I be,' says I. "'Then don't let's hear no more out of you,' he says, 'but come along.' "'The powder'll be friz,' I hints, still tryin' to switch him off. "'Not much,' he says. 'She's down a cellar twenty foot deep--come on.' "'Just as you say, William,' I remarks--the only thing to do. "So we toted ten cases of giant to the bottom of the mill, fixed the cap and fuse careful, touched her off, and walked away from there. "Whilest I wouldn't have you think for a minute, dear friends and brothers, that I uphold any conduct like that, for my part I'm willin' to admit there's things less exhileratin' than standin' on a small rise, of a clear, fine, moonlight winter night, waitin' to see a fifty-stamp mill go off, "And she went. Let me repeat it: she went. We first ketched a smack on the soles of our feet, and then that mill flew to a fiery finish. Jeehoopidderammity! It was simply gorgeous. "We didn't have time to take it all in, howsomever, for after the first blast a big, black thing sailed over our heads with the fearfullest screech that ever scart a man to death. "'Zeke,' says William, hangin' on to my neck, 'did I hear somethin', or is it that cussed green ink workin'?' "'I thought I observed a sound,' says I; 'and whatever it was lit yonder. Let's go see. "William hadn't intended to go and see at all. In fact, I dragged him by the hair and belt the hull distance--not that I was exactly afraid, but nothin' is so lonesome when you have company. "There was a hole in a snowbank where whatever it was went in. I started to paw down, but William was for bunchin' it. "'I tell you, let it be and hump yourself out'n here,' says he. 'It's after me because I blew up the mill; it's the devil, that's what it is.' "'Is it?' says I. 'Well, let's have a look at him. My veins is full of cream de menthy, and I'll knock his horns off'n him if he gives me any lip.'