upholstered　in　peg…top；　checker…board　trousers；　bob…tail　Piccadilly　coat；　and　a　one…inch　brim　straw　hat；　all　of　the　latest　English　pattern。　Everything；　　in　fact；　that　Billy　possessed　was　English；　from　a　rimless　monocle　decorating　his　left　eye；　down　to　the　animated　door…mat　of　a　skye…terrier　that　followed　at　his　heels。
  Oliver　saw　from　the　way　in　which　McTavish　leaned　over　the　table；　protecting　the　tray　with　his　two　arms；　that　he　was　in　command　of　the　decanter；　and　that　the　duty　of　alleviating　the　thirst　of　his　　companions　had　devolved　upon　the　General。　Billy　Talbot　　sat　with　his　hat　tipped　back　on　his　head；　his　chin　resting　on　his　abbreviated　cane；　his　eyes　fixed　on　Gunning。　Both　McTavish　and　Talbot　were　listening　　intently　to　the　cross…country　rider's　story。
  〃And　you　say　you　were　sober；　Gunning？〃　Oliver　heard　the　General　ask；　with　a　scrutinizing　look　at　Tom。　Not　with　any　humorous　intentmore　with　the　manner　of　a　presiding　officer　at　a　court…martial；　determined　to　establish　certain　essential　facts。
  〃As　a　clock；　General。　The　first　thing　I　knew　the　mare　shied　and　I　came　pretty　near　landin'　in　the　dirt。〃　（The　lower　county　men　always　dropped　their　g's。）　〃He　was　lyin'；　I　tell　you；　right　across　the　road。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　Kitty；　I　would　have　run　him　down。　I　got　out　and　held　onto　the　reins；　and　there　he　was；　sir；　stretched　out　as　drunk　as　a　lord；　flat　on　his　back　and　sound　asleep。　I　saw　right　away　that　he　was　a　gentleman；　　and　I　tied　the　mare　to　a　tree；　picked　him　up　with　the　greatest　care；　laid　him　on　the　side　of　the　road；　put　his　hat　under　his　head；　and　made　him　as　comfortable　as　I　could；　when；　by　George；　sir！　I　hadn't　any　more　than　got　back　to　my　buggy；　when　bang！　went　a　ball　within　a　foot　of　my　head！〃
  The　General；　who；　as　he　listened；　had　been　repointing　　the　waxed　ends　of　his　dyed　mustache　with　his　lemon…colored　kid　gloves；　now　leaned　back　in　his　chair。
  〃Fired　at　you；　sir？〃　The　General　had　served　both　at　Chapultepec　and　Buena　Vista；　and　was　an　authority　　where　gunpowder　was　concerned。
  〃That's　just　what　he　did。　Came　near　takin'　the　top　of　my　head　off！　Hadn't　been　so　dark　he　would　have　done　it。〃
  〃Good　God！　you　don't　tell　me　so！〃　exclaimed　the　General；　mopping　his　lips　with　his　perfumed　handkerchief。　　〃Were　you　armed；　Gunning？〃
  〃No；　sir；　I　was　entirely　at　his　mercy　and　absolutely　　defenceless。　Well；　I　grabbed　the　reins　to　quiet　the　mare　and　then　I　hollered　out'What　the　devil　do　you　mean；　sir；　by　tryin'　to　blow　the　top　of　my　head　off？'　I　could　see　now　that　he　had　raised　himself　　up　on　his　elbow　and　was　lookin'　at　me　in　a　way　I　did　not　like。
  〃'What　do　you　mean　by　disturbin'　my　rest；　sir；'　he　called　back。
  〃'Well；　but　my　dear　sir；　you　were　lyin'　in　the　middle　of　the　road　and　might　have　been　run　over。'
  〃'It's　none　of　your　business　where　I　lie；'　he　hollered　　back。　'I　go　to　sleep　where　I　damn　please；　sir。　I　consider　it　a　very　great　liberty。'
  〃'I；　beg　your　pardon；　sir；'　I　said。　'I　did　not　intend　　any　trespass'　I　was　walkin'　toward　him　now。　I　did　not　want　him　to　shoot　again。
  〃'That's　sufficient；　sir；'　he　said。　'No　gentleman　can　do　more。　There's　my　hand；　sir。　Allow　me；　sir；　to　offer　you　a　drink。　If　you　will　roll　me　over；　you　will　find　my　flask　in　my　coat…tail　pocket。'
  〃Well；　I　rolled　him　over；　took　a　drink；　and　then　I　brought　the　mare　alongside；　helped　him　in　and　drove　him　home　to　my　house。　He　was　a　most　delightful　　gentleman。　Didn't　leave　my　place　until　four　o'clock　in　the　mornin'。　He　lives　about　fifteen　miles　below　me。　He　told　me　his　name　was　Toffington。　Do　you　happen　to　know　him；　Talbot？〃　said　Gunning；　turning　to　Billy。
  〃Toffington；　Toffington；〃　said　Billy；　dropping　his　eye…glasses　with　a　movement　of　his　eyebrows。　He　had　listened　to　the　story　without　the　slightest　comment。　　〃No；　Tom；　unless　he　is　one　of　those　upper　county　men。　There　was　a　fellow　I　met　in　London　last　year〃　（Billy　pronounced　it　〃larst　yarh；〃　to　Oliver's　infinite　amusement）　〃with　some　such　name　as　that。　He　and　I　went　over　to　Kew　Gardens　with　the　Duke　of。〃
  Gunning　instantly　turned　around　with　an　impatient　　gesturenobody　ever　listened　to　one　of　Billy's　London　stories；　they　being　the　never…ending　jokes　around　Kennedy　Squarefaced　the　General　again；　much　to　Oliver's　regret；　who　would　have　loved　above　all　things　to　hear　Billy　descant　on　his　English　experiences。
  〃Do　you；　General；　know　anybody　named　Toffington？〃　　asked　Tom。
  〃No；　Gunningbut　here　comes　Clayton；　he　knows　everybody　in　the　State　that　is　worth　knowing。　What　you　have　told　me　is　most　extraordinarymost　extraordinary；　　Gunning。　It　only　goes　to　show　how　necessary　　it　is　for　every　man　to　be　prepared　for　emergencies　　of　this　kind。　You　should　never　go　unarmed；　sir。　You　had　a　very　narrow　escapea　very　narrow　escape；　Gunning。　Here；　Claytoncome　over　here。〃
  Oliver　pulled　his　face　into　long　lines。　The　picture　of　Gunning　taking　a　drink　with　a　man　who　a　moment　before　had　tried　to　blow　the　top　of　his　head　off；　and　the　serious　way　in　which　the　coterie　about　the　table　regarded　the　incident；　so　excited　the　boy's　risibles　that　he　would　have　laughed　outright　had　not　his　eye　rested　on　the　Colonel　walking　toward　him。
  The　Colonel；　evidently；　did　not　hear　McTavish's　call。　His　mind　was　occupied　with　something　much　more　important。　He　had　been　finishing　a　game　of　whist　upstairs；　and　the　mahogany…colored　Cerberus　had　not　dared　to　disturb　him　until　the　hand　was　played　out。　The　fact　that　young　Oliver　Horn　had　called　to　see　him　at　such　an　hour　and　in　such　a　place　had　greatly　disturbed　him。　He　felt　sure　that　something　　out　of　the　ordinary　had　happened。
  〃My　dear　boy；〃　he　cried；　as　Oliver　rose　to　meet　him；　〃I　have　this　instant　heard　you　were　here；　or　I　never　should　have　kept　you　waiting　a　moment。　Nothing　seriousnothing　at　home？〃
  〃Oh；　no；　Colonel。　Only　a　word　from　mother；　sir。　I　missed　you　at　the　bank　and　Mr。　Stiger　thought　that　I　might　better　come　here；〃　and　he　delivered　his　mother's　message　in　a　low　voice　and　resumed　his　seat　again。
  The　Colonel；　now　that　his　mind　was　at　rest；　dropped　into　a　chair；　stroked　his　goatee　with　his　thumb　and　forefinger；　and　ran　over　in　his　mind　the　sum　of　his　engagements。
  〃Tell　your　dear　mother；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　will　do　myself　the　honor　of　calling　upon　her　on　my　way　home　late　this　afternoon。　Nothing　will　give　me　greater　pleasure。　Now　stay　awhile　with　me　and　let　me　order　something　for　you；　my　boy；〃　and　he　beckoned　　to　one　of　the　brown…coated　servants　who　had　entered　the　room　with　a　fresh　tray　for　the　Gunning　table。
  〃No；　thank　you；　Colonel；　I　ought　not　to　stop；〃　Oliver　replied；　in　an　apologetic　way；　as　he　rose　from　his　seat。　〃I　really　ought　to　go　back　and　tell　mother；〃　and　with　a　grasp　of　Clayton's　hand　and　a　bow　to　one　or　two　men　in　the　room　who　were　watching　his　movements　the　Colonel　following　him　to　the　outer　door　Oliver　took　himself　off；　as　was　the　duty　of　one　so　young　and　so　entirely　out　of　place　among　a　collection　　of　men　all　so　knowing　and　distinguished。
  CHAPTER　VI
  AMOS　COBB'S　ADVICE
  In　full　justice　to　the　Chesapeake　Club　the　scribe　must　admit　that　such　light…weights　as　Billy　Talbot；　Torn　Gunning；　and　Carter　Thorn　did　not　fairly　represent　　the　standing　of　the　organization。　Many　of　the　most　cultivated　and　enlightened　men　about　Kennedy　　Square　and　the　neighboring　country　enjoyed　its　privileges；　among　them　not　only　such　men　as　Richard　Horn；　Nathan　Gill；　the　Chief…Justice　of　the　State；　and　those　members　of　the　State　Legislature　　whose　birth　was　above　reproach；　but　most　of　the　sporting　gentry　of　the　county；　as　well　as　many　of　the　more　wealthy　planters　who　lived　on　the　Bay　and　whose　houses　were　opened　to　their　fellow…members　　when　the　ducks　were　flying。
  Each　man's　lineage；　occupation；　and　opinions　on　the　leading　topics　of　the　time　were　as　well　known　to　the　club　as　to　the　man　himself。　Any　new…corner　presenting　　himself　for　membership　was　always　subjected　to　the　severest　scrutiny；　and　had　to　be　favorably　passed　upon　by　a　large　majority　of　the　committee　before　　a　sufficient　number　of　votes　could　be　secured　for　his　election。
  The　only　outsider　elected　for　years　had　been　Amos　Cobb；　of　Vermont；　the　abolitionist；　as　he　was　generally　called；　who　invariably　wore　black　broad…　cloth　and　whose　clean…shaven　facea　marked　contrast　to　the　otherswith　its　restless　black　eyes；　strong　nose；　and　firm　mouth；　was　as　sharp　and　hard　as　the　rocks　of　his　native　State。　His　election　to　full　membership　of　the　Chesapeake　Club　was　not　due　to　his　wealth　and　commercial　standingneither　of　these　would　have　availed　himbut　to　the　fact　that　he　had　married　a　daughter　of　Judge　Wharton　of　Wharton　Hall；　and　had　thus；　by　reason　of　his　alliance　　with　one　of　the　first　families　of　the　State；　been　admitted　to　all　the　social　privileges　of　Kennedy　Square。　This　exception　in　his　favor；　however；　had　never　crippled　Cobb's　independence　nor　stifled　his　fearlessness　in　expressing　his　views　on　any　one　of　the　leading　topics　of　the　day。　The　Vermonter　had　worked　with　his　hands　when　a　boy　on　his　father's　farm；　and　believed　in　the　dignity　of　labor　and　the　blessings　of　self…support。　He　believed；　too；　in　the　freedom　of　all　men；　black　and　white；　and　looked　upon　slavery　as　a　crime。　He　expressed　these　sentiments　openly　and　unreservedly；　and　declared　that　no　matter　how　long　he　might　live　South　he　would　never　c