“Morgan’s officers are all in the penitentiary,” he gasped.
“One is not and never was,” answered Calhoun.
Mr. Pettis regarded him closely, and then said: “It can’t be, but it must be. Is your name Pennington?”
“It is,” replied Calhoun.
“Why, the papers have been full of your escape. But the general opinion seemed to be that you wandered away in a delirium and died.”
“Which you see is not so,” said Calhoun, with a smile.
“How in the world did you get away?”
“That is a secret which I cannot tell even you.”
“Very well; but, Mr. Pennington, you must come home with me. You will find friends in Columbus, many of them, who will be delighted to meet you.”
When Columbus was reached, Calhoun, on advice of Mr. Pettis, bought a suit of citizen’s clothes, for, said he, “We Knights hate the sight of that uniform; it’s the badge of tyranny.”