good man to handle him; that it would."

"That's thrue," said another; "he would be able to 'settle bread' on a
half-dozen Yankees any day; that is, provided they did not use any
weapon but the arm that God gave 'em."

"But you know," said a third, "these Yankees always carry a _rewolwer_
or two in their pockets, the treacherous rogues. Look how they killed
that Irish peddler, and robbed him, and fired six shots into Michael
Gasty's house the other night, and he in bed quietly sleeping."

This and other such narratives and comments were the order of the day
outside the door, only where those who were careless or not preparing
for their duties were congregated. Inside, a large crowd of women and
rough-fisted men gathered around the door of the temporary confessional,
and it was near noon before the priest ascended the temporary altar to
offer up the "victim of peace" for the assembled sons of toil. Upon his
reverence asking if there was anybody to answer or serve Mass, several
presented themselves; but he accepted the services of Paul, because he
had been accustomed from his childhood to wait round the altar, and he
was the most intelligent of those who offered to assist the priest while
celebrating.

The substance of the priest's discourse was, that they should not forget
that it was God's will that the holy sacrifice should be offered in
"every place, from the rising to the setting of the sun," and that
probably they were made the instruments which he made use of for the
_literal_ fulfilment of that famous prophecy; for if they were not here
employed on these public works, probably the holy sacrifice would not
be, for years and years to come, offered up in such places as this. That