“Yet I hear that a revenue officer passed away in your township last fall.”
“Rattlesnakes and Revenue officers don’t count—they ain’t human.”
“I see!” laughed John.
“Say,” Dan whispered, “you ain’t calculatin’ ter make a raid ternight with them thousand blue-coats paradin’ round this town, are ye?”
“That’s my business, Dan,” was John’s smiling answer. “It’s your business as a faithful night-hawk of the Empire to obey orders. Are you ready?”
“Well, Chief, I followed you four years in the war, an’ I’ve never showed the white feather yet, but these is ticklish times. There’s a powerful lot er damfools gettin’ ermongst us, an’ I want ter ax ye one question?”
“What?”
“Are ye goin’ ter git drunk ter-night?”
John walked to Dan’s side and placed his hand on his shoulder, and said slowly:
“I’ll never touch another drop of liquor as long as I live. Does that satisfy you?”