"To hell wid yez!"
A half dozen rifles were thrust at his head.
He folded his arms and stood his ground.
They pushed a lantern into his face and Brown studied him a moment. He didn't wish a gun fired yet. The town was asleep and he wanted it to sleep.
"Get a crowbar," he ordered.
They got a crowbar from the wagon, jammed it into the chain which held the wagon gate and twisted the chain until it snapped. He drove the wagon inside, closed the gate and the United States Arsenal was in his hands.
Brown placed the two watchmen in charge of his men, Jerry Anderson and
Dauphin Thompson.
He spoke to the prisoners in sharp command.
"Behave yourselves, now. I've come here to free all the negroes in this
State. If I'm interfered with I'll burn the town and have blood."
Every man who passed through the dark streets was accosted, made prisoner and placed under guard.