“Mamma, dear, dear mamma, how I love you! and papa too!” whispered the child, twining her arms about her mother’s neck.  “Don’t let us be afraid of those wicked men, mamma.  I am sure God will not let them get papa, because we have all prayed so much for his help; all of us together in worship this morning and this evening, and we children up here; and Jesus said, ’If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.’”

“Yes, darling, and he will fulfill his word; he will not suffer anything to befall but what shall be for his glory and our good.  Now, dear daughter, lie down and take that promise for a pillow to sleep upon; and if waked by sounds of conflict, lift up your heart to God for your dear father, and mine, and all of us.”

“I will, mamma, I will.”

Leaving a loving kiss on the sweet young lips, and another on the brow of her sleeping Violet, the mother glided noiselessly from the room.

“What is it, mammy?” she asked on finding her faithful old nurse waiting to speak with her in the outer room.

“Miss Elsie, honey, is you willin’ to let us scald dem Kluxes wid boilin’ soap an’ lye?”

“Scald them, mammy?” she exclaimed with a slight shudder.  “I can hardly bear the thought of treating a dog so cruelly!”

“But dey’s worse dan dogs.  Miss Elsie; dogs neber come and detack folks dat’s sleepin’ quietly in dere beds; does dey now?”

“No; and these men would take my husband’s life.  You may all fight them with any weapon you can lay hands on.”

Aunt Chloe returned her thanks and proceeded to give an account of the plan concocted by Aunt Dicey and Uncle Joe.

Elsie, returning to the dining-room, repeated it there.

“Excellent!” exclaimed her brother.  “Come, Art, let’s hang a bell in the kitchen and attach a string to it, taking the other end up to the observatory.”

The suggestion was immediately carried out.  It had been previously arranged that the two young men should repair to the observatory, and there watch for the coming of the foe, and on their first appearance, probably a mile or more distant, give the alarm to those below, by pulling a wire attached to that from which the front door bell was suspended; thus setting it to ringing loudly.  Now they were prepared to sound the tocsin in the kitchen, also, thus giving time for the removal of the boiling lye from the fire there to the second story of the mansion, where it was to be used according to Uncle Joe’s plan.

The detective had reported the assailing party as numbering from thirty-five to forty; but the Ion force, though much inferior in point of numbers, even with the addition of eight or ten negro men belonging to the Oaks and Ion, who were tolerably proficient in the use of firearms, certainly had the advantage of position, and of being on the side of right and justice.