CHAPTER V.
FIRE-EATING COLONEL.
‘Surrender! You’re our prisoner!’ cried several of the soldiers, running up and presenting their bayonets at Ephraim’s chest.
‘Waal, I ain’t denyin’ it,’ said Ephraim coolly. ‘Reckon I kin master thet fact ’thout ye drivin’ it inter me with them nasty spikes. Take ’em away.’
The men laughed, and most of them dropped the points of their weapons; but an officer, who just then came up, demanded roughly: ‘Who are you? How and why do you come here?’
Ephraim considered the speaker earnestly before replying, and in that moment took his measure accurately. ‘He’s a hard un,’ thought Grizzly. ‘He’ll make things hum fer us ef he gits his way.’ Aloud he said, pointing to the balloon: ‘Ye see how we came; and ez fer why we came, it war because we couldn’t help it.’
‘None of your insolence,’ said the officer threateningly. ‘What do you mean by you couldn’t help it?’
‘Jest what I sez,’ returned Ephraim, ‘and I hadn’t no idee of bein’ insolent nuther. Ye don’t ’magine we came fer the pleasure er bein’ took prisoner.—I won’t rile him willin’,’ he added within himself.
‘Will we haul down this yer balloon, cunnel, and see if she carries anything?’ asked a sergeant at this stage.