Several days later Uncle John appeared in the office of the Chief. He drew up a chair and remarked, “Howdy,” and sat gazing at the other man with about as much animation as an Egyptian mummy. Only his little snappy eyes under the bushy brows told of his alertness. The conversation was again about the weather, the crops, the soaring price of corn “likker” and the growing scarcity of good white oak timber. At length Uncle John hitched his chair closer. “I kinda tho’t you all mought wanter know ’bout Tom B——,” he said. “I’ve done been out whar Tom is a-settin’ back, an’ he seed how hit is—an’ he’s a-comin’ in!” The Chief of the A. P. L. nodded. The thing was settled. They smoked for a time, discussed the weather, the crops, the soaring price of corn “likker” and the growing scarcity of good white oak timber. Tom’s name was not mentioned again. The Chief spoke quite casually of a few details that would naturally attend Tom’s “comin’ in.” Uncle John said he would attend to those matters. A little later he went away. And by and by Tom B—— came in and joined the Army. These Southern leaders understood the mountain people. Their method of work was infinitely more simple than sending a posse out into the brush to round up a desperate man who knew how to shoot to kill. There were characters who needed other methods; but among the boys in the mountains, ignorance and aloofness were the common causes of their “stepping back into the brush.” To have called any one of them afraid to fight would have been the deepest insult possible to men of their race. Once in the army, they did fight—the records of the Army will speak as to that. There never were better or braver soldiers in the world, nor men more loyal and devoted to their country. Olympia, Washington, had an interesting case of a deserter named G——, whose father made the statement that anyone who took the boy would have to come shooting. The house was searched but the boy was gone. The A. P. L. operative later became a game warden, and while traveling in the country ran across an empty cabin. As it was known that the boy’s father had taken out a trapper’s license, they thought that perhaps this cabin might be occupied by the deserter. It was in a swamp, built under overhanging trees, so it was almost impossible to find. There was no trail to the cabin, as the boy did not go in and out in any regular way but took different paths to avoid discovery. The operative and an associate went into the woods, found G——’s line of traps, followed them up and captured him in the woods. This deserter’s family would not buy Liberty bonds but said they would save their money for ammunition. The prompt and vigorous action of A. P. L. closed a case which was notorious in the vicinity.