"Ay, ay, that we do! Give it to him!" was shouted from the party.
"It's our right to have niggers, and we will have them, if we can get them," continued the speaker.
"Who gave you the right?" said father Dickson.
"Who gave it? Why, the Constitution of the United States, to be sure, man! Who did you suppose? An't we got the freest government in the world? Is we going to be shut out of communion, 'cause we holds niggers? Don't care a cuss for your old communion, but it's the principle I's going for! Now, I tell you what, old fellow, we've got you; and you have got to promise, right off the reel, that you won't say another word on this yer subject."
"Friend, I shall make no such promise," said father Dickson, in a tone so mild and steadfast that there was a momentary pause.
"You'd better," said a man in the crowd, "if you know what's good for you!"
A voice now spoke from the circle of the young men,—
"Never cave in, boys!"
"No fear of us!" responded the man who had taken the most prominent part in the dialogue hitherto. "We'll serve it out to him! Now, ye see, old feller, ye're treed, and may as well come down, as the coon said to Davy. You can't help yourself, 'cause we are ten to one; and if you don't promise peaceable, we'll make you!"