one bit of the spirit of revenge I would never lift my hand. I
do not make war on slave-holders, but on slavery.'

Henceforth John Brown's little band was famous. A few days after
the Pottawatomie tragedy we find him engaging a company under
Captain Fate, who professed, with doubtful authority, to be the
emissary of the Government. Hearing after prayer meeting one
Sunday they are in the neighbourhood, he is quickly in pursuit as
soon as night has set in, and in the morning with a handful of
men he is exchanging brisk fire with the enemy. Presently Fred
Brown, a wild-looking man of the woods, who has been left in
charge of the horses, comes riding upon a pony none too large for
its ungainly burden. He waves his long arms, shouting, 'Come on,
boys, we've got 'em surrounded and cut off their communications.'
The enemy are scared at the apparition, and their captain,
thinking there is no fathoming the plots of these Browns, sends a
lieutenant forward with a flag of truce. John Brown asks, 'Are
you captain!' 'No.' 'I will talk with him, not with you.'
Captain Fate advances with much parley. 'Any proposition to
make?' impatiently asks John Brown. 'No.' Then he (John Brown)
has one--unconditional surrender; and with eight men he has soon
secured twenty prisoners. So all through that summer Brown was
wellnigh ubiquitous in harassing the enemy, and their dispatches
betray their terror of him by ludicrous exaggerations of his
achievements. But it is certain he lived as nearly up to his
terrible reputation as he could. At Franklin, at Washington
Creek, and at Osawatomie we find him in evidence. Here are
extracts from his letters in reference to the attack made by the
pro-slavery men at the last-mentioned place. 'On the morning of
August 30 an attack was made by the ruffians on Osawatomie,