I asked him, still keeping myself perfectly cool, if he was not
an American soldier?

"Yes, sir," he answered, "I am an American soldier; and as good a one,
perhaps, as yourself, or any other man."

"Well, sir, and is this the way you show your soldiership,
by insulting the law?"

"I am not bound," continued he, "to obey a bad law."

"But, sir, who gave YOU a right to JUDGE the law?"

"I don't mind that," quoth he, "but d--n me, sir, if I'll let
the prisoners go."

"Very well, captain Johnson," said I, "we shall soon try THAT;
and if you and your people here, choose to go to the devil
for resisting the law, on your own heads be the bloody consequences."

With this I gave the floor a thundering stamp, and in a moment, as by magic,
in bursted my brave sergeant and men, with fixed bayonets,
ready for slaughter, while Jossilin and myself, whipping out our swords,
rushed on as to the charge.

A troop of red foxes dashing into a poultry yard, never produced such
squalling and flying as now took place among these poor guilty wretches --
"Lord have mercy upon us," they cried -- down fell their guns --
smack went the doors and windows -- and out of both, heels over head
they tumbled, as expecting every moment the points of our bayonets.