Calhoun found that the Knights stood in great dread of Morton. They declared he had a way of finding out every secret of the order. If he had not been thoroughly guarded, his life would not have been worth a farthing.
Calhoun was taken into the country, where he witnessed the drilling of two or three companies of Knights. These meetings always took place at night, in some secret place, and sentinels were posted to guard against surprise. Calhoun talked with many of the members to get their ideas and to find out what they wished to accomplish.
“What do you think?” asked Bowman of Calhoun, after they had returned to Indianapolis. “I have forty thousand of those fellows.”
“Will they fight?” asked Calhoun.
“Fight? Of course they will fight,” was the answer. “Let Morgan get into the state, and you will see.”
At Indianapolis Calhoun met with a wealthy farmer named Jones, who lived near Corydon. He had no words too severe to say of Lincoln, and boasted of the number of Knights in his part of the state.
“We are going to sweep the Black Abolitionists from the earth,” he exclaimed, boastingly, “and hang Old Abe, and Morton too.”
“What would you do if Morgan came?” asked Calhoun.
“Do? I would throw my hat in the air and yell until I was hoarse,” was the answer.
“What if Morgan should want some of your horses?” asked Calhoun.