“Well,” said the Captain, slightly confused at the lady’s directness; “well, seein’ that’s the way the mule kicks, as I was sayin’, I proposed to Sum here, as long as him and you distrusts an old _Union_ friend that’s stuck by your house like a tick even when the red-mouthed nullifiers swore you was feedin’ us _soap-tails_ on _bull-beef_ and _blue collards_—I say, as long as that’s the case, I propose to give you a mortgage on the south half of 21, 13, 29. It’s the best half section in county, and it’s worth forty times the amount of your bill.” “It looks like that ought to do,” said Summeval, who was grateful to the Captain for defending his house against the slanders of the nullifiers; “and seein’ that Suggs has always patronized the Union and _voted the whole ticket_—” “Never _split_ in my life,” dropped in Suggs, with emphasis. “I,” continued Dennis, “am for takin’ the mortgage, and lettin’ him take Old Bill and go; for I know it would be a satisfaction to the nullifiers to have him put in jail.” “Yes,” quoth the Captain, sighing, “I’m about to be tuk up and made a martyr of on account of the _Union_; but I’ll die true to my prin_si_pples, see if I don’t.” “They shan’t take you,” said Dennis, his long, lank form stiffening with energy as he spoke; “as long as they put it on _that_ hook, hanged ef they shall. Give us the mortgage and slope!” “You ain’t got no rights to that land; I jist know it, or you wouldn’t want to mortgage it for a tavern bill,” shouted Mrs. Dennis; “and I tell you and Summeval _both_, that Old Bill don’t go out of that stable till the money’s paid—mind, I say _money_—into _my_ hand,” and here the good lady turned off and called Bob, the stable-boy, to bring her the stable key. The Captain and Summeval looked at each other like two children school-boys. It was clear that no terms short of payment in money would satisfy Mrs. Dennis. Suggs saw that Dennis had become interested in his behalf; so acting upon the idea, he suggested: “Dennis, suppose _you loan me the money_?” “Egad, Suggs, I’ve been thinkin’ of that; but as I have only a fifty dollar bill, and my wife’s key bein’ turned on that, there’s no chance. Drott it, I’m sorry for you.” “Well the Lord’ll purvide,” said Suggs. As Captain Suggs could not get away that day, evidently, he arranged, through his friend Summeval, with the Clerk, not to issue a capias until the next afternoon. Having done this, he cast around for some way of raising the wind; but the fates were against him, and at eleven o’clock that night, he went to bed in a fit of the blues, that three pints of whiskey had failed to dissipate. An hour or two after the Captain had got between the sheets, and after every one else was asleep, he heard some one walk unsteadily, but still softly, up stairs. An occasional hiccup told that it was some fellow drunk; and this was confirmed by a heavy fall, which the unfortunate took as soon as, leaving the railing, he attempted to travel _suis pedibus_.