"Yes; but it's not as much as we want, my worthy man," said Peters; "we require to know that you are a solvent and respectable person."
"Come out and see my place then; ride over the land and look at my stock; ask my neighbors my character; find out if there's any thing against me."
"We prefer to leave all that trouble on your shoulders," said Peters; "show us that we may accept your surety and we'll entertain the question at once."
"How much is it?" asked he, eagerly.
"We demanded five hundred pounds for a Major on the staff; suppose we say two, Colonel, is that sufficient?" asked Peters of the President.
"I should say quite enough," was the reply.
"There's eighty of it any way," said the farmer, producing a dirty roll of bank notes, and throwing them on the table; "I got them from Mr. Murphy in Smithfield this morning, and I'll get twice as much more from him for asking; so if your honors will wait 'till I come back, I'll not be twenty minutes away."
"But we can't take your money, my man; we have no right to touch it."
"Then what are ye talking about two hundred pounds for?" asked he, sternly.
"We want your promise to pay in the event of this bail being broken."