He arose from his knees from the side of his bed. It was his custom to pray in this posture both morning and night; in the morning to thank his Lord for having brought him safely through the night and to offer Him all his prayers and works and sufferings of the day. At night to implore pardon for his shortcomings of the day and to commend himself into the hands of his Creator. This morning, however, the noise of heavy footsteps on the stairway had caused him to abbreviate somewhat his devotional exercise. "Come in!" he repeated as he slipped back the bolt and opened the door. "Oh! Good morning! You're out early. How are you?" He shook the hands of his early morning visitors warmly. "Fine morning!" replied Mr. Allison. "Sorry to have disturbed you, but Jim was around early and desired to see you." "Sure! No disturbance at all, I assure you. I was on the point of leaving for breakfast." "Go right ahead. Please don't delay on our account. We can wait. Go ahead," expostulated Mr. Allison. "We want'd t' be sure an' git ye, thet wuz all," remarked Jim. "Eat first. We'll be here when y' git back." "Sit down and make yourselves comfortable," and he arranged several chairs about the room. "I overslept, I fear. Last night taxed me." "You did justice to yourself and to us last night. The splendid result was your reward." They were seated, Jim by the window, Mr. Allison at Stephen's desk. The disorder of early morning was apparent in the room, the furniture disarranged and all manner of clothing, bed covering, wearing apparel, towels, piled or thrown carelessly about. No one seemed to mind it, however, for no one paused to rearrange it. "It wuz a big night. Tell us how did ye git along with 'em?" asked Jim. "Much better than I had anticipated," Stephen replied. "I thought that Anderson's talk had won them entirely, but when I asked for the floor, I saw at once that many were with me. Had you instructed them?" This question was directed towards Jim. "I did. I saw a doz'n at least. You know they had no use fur th' thing and were glad o' th' chance. I made a big secret out o' it, and they watch'd fur my ol' clothes." "I thought I felt their glances. They stuck true, you may be assured. I knew, too, that I possessed a reserve blow in the affair of the _Isis_. The mention of Arnold's name inflamed them." "I am sorry to have missed that," Mr. Allison said. "How did they avoid you?" Stephen asked. "I don't know. I was never approached although I had been acquainted with the rumors of the thing right along. I suppose they figured that I would threaten them with exposure. They knew where I stood; and then again they knew that they could threaten me with no debts. For some reason or other they thought best to avoid me." "I guess we killed it for good." "Kill'd it?" exclaimed Jim. "It's deader 'n a six-day corpse. An' there's great talk goin' on t'day on all th' corners. We're right wid th' peepul y' kin bet, and they thought best to avoid me."