he said, more gravely, "What you overheard, Clarence, shows me that the
plan is more forward than I had imagined, and that I may have to fight
traitors here."

"I hope, sir," said Clarence, with a quick glow in his earnest
face, "that you'll let me help you. You thought I did once, you
remember,--with the Indians."

There was so much of the old Clarence in his boyish appeal and eager,
questioning face that Peyton, who had been talking to him as a younger
but equal man of affairs, was startled into a smile, "You did, Clarence,
though the Indians butchered your friends, after all. I don't know,
though, but that your experiences with those Spaniards--you must have
known a lot of them when you were with Don Juan Robinson and at the
college--might be of service in getting at evidence, or smashing their
witnesses if it comes to a fight. But just now, MONEY is everything.
They must be bought OFF THE LAND if I have to mortgage it for the
purpose. That strikes you as a rather heroic remedy, Clarence, eh?"
he continued, in his old, half-bantering attitude towards Clarence's
inexperienced youth, "don't it?"

But Clarence was not thinking of that. Another more audacious but
equally youthful and enthusiastic idea had taken possession of his mind,
and he lay awake half that night revolving it. It was true that it was
somewhat impractically mixed with his visions of Mrs. Peyton and Susy,
and even included his previous scheme of relief for the improvident and
incorrigible Hooker. But it gave a wonderful sincerity and happiness
to his slumbers that night, which the wiser and elder Peyton might have
envied, and I wot not was in the long run as correct and sagacious as
Peyton's sleepless cogitations. And in the early morning Mr. Clarence