"Take your hands off that gentleman! What do you mean by touching a
friend of mine?"

The negroes stepped back amazed.

"'Scuse me, Senator, is this gent'man a friend of yours?" the head
porter gasped apologetically.

Langdon looked at him.

"You heard what I said," he drawled in the slow way natural to some
men of the South when trouble threatens. "I'd like to have you down in
Mississippi for about ten minutes."

The head porter turned quickly on his assistants and drove them away,
shouting at the top of his voice:

"Get about yo' wuk. How dare yo' intehfere wid a friend of de
Senator's? I'll teach yo' to be putting yoh nose in where it ain't got
no business."

The old man, astonished at the turn of events, came forward
hesitatingly to Langdon.

"I'm very much obliged to you, sir," he said. "I'm Colonel Stoneman,
an old soldier."

The Mississippian stretched forth his hand.

"My name is Langdon, sir--Senator Langdon of Mississippi. I am an old