"I want you to mention it to my father if you believe in it, and he will think more of it than if I put it forward."
"Your father seems to think a good deal of what you say and do."
"He will think I am too old for my years; but he is the best father I ever had, and I want him to come out of this scrape with flying colors."
"But what is your idea, Deck?" asked Tom curiously.
"I think my father is waked up to the bottom of his boots; he won't fool with any flags of truce, and he will order us all to fire as soon as the time comes, though his own brother is in the gang ahead of us, or in the one over on the other road."
"I am sure he won't wince."
"And the moment we fire, the ruffians will all run away, which the darkeys won't do. That is just what I have seen them do twice to-night. I wonder what they came over here for if they didn't mean to fight."
"They came over here to burn your father's house and that of mine; but I reckon they didn't expect to get the reception Major Lyon had prepared for them."
"They will run away, Tom," repeated Deck; "and that is just what I don't want them to be allowed to do."
"Not if we can prevent it; for I believe that hanging would do good to some of them."