back and shaking a thin forefinger in Mr. Perley's face, "God has given
us a task to do and how have we done it? We've set still and let the
Devil have his way. We've talked and talked, but what have we done?
Nothin'! Nothin' at all; and now the grip of Satan is tighter on the
town than it ever has been afore. The Lord set us a watch to keep and
we've slept on watch. And now there's a trap set for every young man in
this c'munity. Do you think that that hell-hole down yonder is goin' to
shut up because we talk about it in meetin'? Do you think Web Saunders
is goin' to quit sellin' rum because we say he ought to? Do you think
God's goin' to walk up to that door and nail it up himself? No, sir! He
don't work that way! We've talked and talked, and now it's time to DO.
Ain't there anybody here that feels a call? Ain't there axes to chop
with and fire to burn? I tell you, brothers, we've waited long enough!
I--old as I am--am ready. Lord, here I am! Here I am--"

He swayed, broke into a fit of coughing, and sank back upon the sofa,
trembling all over and still muttering that he was ready. There was a
hushed silence for a moment or two, and then a storm of hallelujahs and
shouts. Mr. Perley started another hymn, and it was sung with tremendous
enthusiasm.

Just behind the nervous young man with the celluloid collar sat a stout
individual with a bald head. This was Abijah Thompson, known by the
irreverent as "Barking" Thompson, a nickname bestowed because of his
peculiar habit of gradually puffing up, like a frog, under religious
excitement, and then bursting forth in an inarticulate shout,
disconcerting to the uninitiated. During Baxter's speech and the singing
of the hymn his expansive red cheeks had been distended like balloons,
and his breath came shorter and shorter. Mr. Perley had arisen and was
holding up his hand for silence, when with one terrific "Boo!" "Barking"