"I'll send no horse," our brave leader cried. "You're none too good to wade, and wade you shall if you come over!"
I supposed Attorney Fanning would go back to his home in anger after receiving such a reply, and said as much to Sidney; but no sooner had I spoken than the lawyer waded into the stream, and over he came, holding out his bottles as if believing that Master Hamilton would be rejoiced at having an opportunity of drinking with him.
Our leader waved him away in short order, and then the scheming rascal went from man to man of the front rank, asking each to have a glass of liquor in token of friendship; but none would accept, and more than one gave him such insults as a truckling knave like himself deserved.
Before he had come to an end of the line, and when it must have been made plain that not one of the Regulators cared to bestow the commonest civility upon him, he espied Sandy Wells.
"What, have you resigned your office?" the attorney asked sharply, and our prisoner replied whiningly:
"I'm held here by force, good Master Fanning, having been taken prisoner by two lads."
Our people burst into laughter at this mournful reply, and hoping, most likely, to curry favor with the Regulators, the lawyer said with a grin:
"If two lads took you prisoner, I'd advise you to hold your tongue about it. Not many hours since you declared yourself to be a match for any three men in the Carolinas, providing you were not come upon in ambush."
"I was taken by surprise, even while reading the warrants for their arrest, and it's by no means to my shame, since I never dreamed they would be bold enough to make an attack upon the representative of our worthy sheriff."
"You'd best give over reading warrants, Sandy," some person shouted, and Fanning laughed at the gibe as he continued on along the line of horsemen, trying in vain to find one who would drink with him.