"
"That's an outrage!" broke out the northern leader. "You and your
band of ruffians--you talk as though you owned this state, as
though this river weren't made as a highway of this continent.
Don't you know that not even a river can be owned by an entire
state?"
"We own this part of it to-day," rejoined Dunwody simply. "This is
our judiciary. These are our legislators whom you see." He
slapped his rifle stock, touched a revolver butt at his belt. "You
left the highway when you tied up to our shores. The temper of my
men is such that you are lucky to have a parole offered to you.
You deserve not the treatment of soldiers, but of spies. You
disgrace your uniform. These men are only fools. But what do they
say, Clayton?" he demanded turning to the latter as he finally
returned.
"They consider the expedition at an end," returned the Judge.
"Three of them want to go on home to St. Louis. Yates yonder is
in favor of hanging them all. The boys are bitter about losing
Desha.
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