“Good Lord, Cap! I swear I didn't know you,” the sentinel exclaimed apologetically. “By gum, I come 'in an inch o' givin' the signal to the boys up thar to lie low. It ain't for me to dictate to you, but you ought to obey regulations yourself if you expect the rest to keep order. Cap, this ain't no jokin' business; we've got to be careful.” “I thought you'd know my voice.” Hoag fended the matter of! with an impatient gesture and an audible sniff. “The klan arrived yet?” “Yes, up thar in the open; some of 'em got here at sundown. Never seed 'em so eager before. They've got some game up their sleeves. I may as well tell you. You are goin' to have trouble with 'em, Cap.” “Trouble? What do you mean?” “I don't know as I've got any ground to say it”--the sentinel leaned on his gun and lifted the lower part of his mask, that he might speak more freely--“but it's the young members, Cap. They ain't satisfied with bein' inactive so long. They say us older, men are takin' the dry-rot, an' won't git out at night because we want to lie in bed an' snooze.” Hoag swore under his breath. He reflected a moment in silence; then he asked, “Who's the ringleader?” “Hard to say, Cap; they are all a-talkin'. Thar's a dozen or more, but Nape Welborne is the worst. I may as well tell you the truth. They are ag'in' you; they are bent on creatin' dissatisfaction--bustin' up the old order an' startin' out ag'in, as they say, with new blood. They've got some fresh devilment to propose to-night, an' if you don't fall in line double-quick they are a-goin' to move to elect a new captain.” “I see, I see.” Hoag felt his blood rush in an angry torrent to his head. “They are mad because I didn't favor breakin' in the jail last meetin' to take out Mart Dill. He's Nape's uncle, you know. I was plumb right about that, Purvynes. Mart paid his fine an' is free now, anyway.” “I understand, Cap, but it made a lot of 'em mad. Of course I don't know, but they say you had some grudge ag'in' Mart, an' that's why you refused to act. They've got liquor in 'em to-night up to the neck, an' you'll have to handle 'em easy or we'll bust into flinders.” “I'll break their necks, damn them!” Hoag turned to go on. “They can't run over me roughshod. I've been at the head o' this band too long for that.” “Well, I've give you my opinion, Cap,” Purvynes said, more coldly. “I hope you'll try to keep down a split. Some'n seems goin' crooked, anyway. Sid Trawley's talkin' a lot--gone daffy an' turned into a regular preacher. I know a half-dozen old uns he's kept home to-night, an' Nape Welborne is goin' to make trouble. He hates the ground you walk on. Thar's no ifs and ands about that.”