surrendering yourself to such meanness!" It was evident that the
major's choler was raised, and that he rather courted a set-to with
the spy, who had no great admiration for heroes of any kind. Indeed,
the major declared that if such a thing had happened when he was
with his regiment in Mexico, his sword had not long remained in its
sheath.

"This man," rejoined the spy, with a nasal drawl, "is a burning
torch to the town, which he keeps in a perpetual uproar. The devil
never thought of half the evil he has inflicted upon certain of the
townspeople, for he serves them with his poison, and they go about
as if they were dead. Time and again has he been commanded to
surrender his traffic of misery, on penalty of being ridden into the
river; but he has neither fear of the devil, nor respect for the
laws; and though every pulpit in the land should preach against him,
they cannot put him to shame." The host, who was itching to have
revenge of the spy, hurled a lemon squeezer at his head, which took
him between the two eyes, and caused him to retreat into the street,
amidst the cheering and jeering of the bystanders. The major, too,
applied his boot in right good earnest to the retreating gentleman's
rear, and asserted his courage by making threats in the door, while
the other, having regained his sight, stood challenging him to come
out into the street, and take it like a man. The major called upon
the bystanders to bear witness that he had courage enough to tackle
a dozen or more of such spies, only he would rather not soil his
hands just now. Nor was there any honor in fighting such people,
which was a chief point in such game.

The landlord now reminded the major that the town esteemed him too
highly to have him compromise himself by holding a parley with such