laughter.

"Don't you wherrit yourself about those keys, squire," advised
Bagby. "They 're safe stowed where they won't cause
no more trouble. And since that is done with, we'd like to
settle another little matter with you that we was going to
come over to Greenwood about to-day, but seeing as you 're
here, I don't see no reason why it should n't be attended to
now."

"What's that?" snapped the squire.

"The meeting kind of thought things looked squawlish
ahead, and that it would be best to be fixed for it, so I offered
a resolution that the town buy twenty half-barrels of grain,
and that--"

"Grain!" exclaimed the squire. "What in the 'nation
can ye want with grain?"

"As we are all friends here, I'll tell you confidential sort,
that we put it thataways, so as the resolutions need n't read
too fiery, when they was published in the 'Gazette.' But the
folks all knew as the grain was to be a black grain, that 's not
very good eating."

"Why, this is treason!" cried Mr. Meredith. "Gunpowder!
That 's--"

"Yes. Gunpowder," continued the spokesman, quite as