Here was insult added to injury, for while the exhorter might have forgiven God and the angels for the horrible ordeal they were passing through, he could never forgive the Clary Grove crowd.
During the excitement John McNeil had joined Ann Rutledge and Nance Cameron.
"It's those Clary Grove rowdies," John McNeil said. "They're a bad lot, and there will be murderers in the bunch if they do not change their ways. For this they should be put in jail."
"Windy Batts said very unkind things about them," Ann observed.
"And didn't say half bad enough. I'm sorry Abe Lincoln joined in with them. He was in their camp last night. Like as not he hatched this whole plot."
"I can't see why he should want to do a thing like that," Ann said.
"You don't? Don't you know the whole Clary Grove gang is opposed to religion? Do you suppose this railsplitter would choose their kind if he wasn't an opposer, too?"
"But he's not a railsplitter now—he's Offutt's clerk."
"He's no real clerk and never will be. Once a railsplitter, always a railsplitter."
"Maybe so, but even then, John, it's no disgrace to be an honest railsplitter—and I'm going to ask Nance if he's an opposer."