"By my cousins!" exclaimed Deck Lyon, astonished at the reply of the victim.
"Yes; both on 'em," groaned Swin, as he was generally called.
"I supposed you had gone to the county town with the Home Guards," added Deck.
"No; I never 'listed, 'cause I have a family to take care on."
"Come in, and let me see what the trouble is," continued Deck, as he pushed Swin in ahead of him.
Sandy had been in the act of throwing himself upon his victim again, when he discovered his cousin in the person of the cavalryman. The sight of him caused the angry young man to fall back; and Deck entered the room just as Orly appeared at the rear door with a piece of bed-cord in his hand.
"Good-morning, Sandy," said Deck, as pleasantly as though nothing had called for his interference. "There seems to be some trouble here."
"Trouble enough," replied Sandy in a sulky tone.
"Swin Pickford calls for help as though you intended to murder him," continued Deck, as he looked from one to the other of the belligerents, and took in Orly with the cord at the same time. "You are all on the same side of the national fight, and you ought to be friends."