They therefore asked his wife: "Has your husband a rifle, musket, or fire-arms of any kind ?" She brought out an old Queen Anne's musket, as rusty and worn as if it had been in service ever since the Revolutionary war.

But while they were inspecting the rusty old thing, whether it was worth carrying away, she took from a closet a bran span new double-barrel fowling-piece, and, putting her finger on the trigger, she said, "Now, sir, if you do not lay down that musket and leave the house, I will shoot you." If this gentleman had suddenly roused up a female tiger, he would not have been more terror-stricken than when he found himself facing this woman, blazing with scorn and irrepressible resentment, and he concluded he did not want the rusty old musket, _and did not ask to examine the other one._ Mr.S.had threatened to flog one of his Pro-slavery neighbors who had insulted him, as he alleged, and the man went to Atchison and made oath that he was in fear of his life, and the Sheriff was sent out with a warrant to arrest Mr.Speck.But at this time Leavenworth county was full of murder and bloodshed; guerrilla parties, both Free State and Pro-slavery, were fighting in many parts of the Territory, and Lane had returned, and was leading the Free State men in this warfare, and had threatened with many oaths to wipe out Atchison, and there were rumors that he was already near at hand.

And so, to provide against all contingencies, the Sheriff was accompanied by a _posse_ of forty armed men, who took with them a cannon which had been loaned to Atchison by the people of Missouri.
Mrs.Speck received the Sheriff graciously, explained to him that her husband was absent, but would soon return, but to all questions as touching his present whereabouts, she shook her head mysteriously and refused to explain.

The thing looked suspicious.

Was it possible that Lane was even now in the neighborhood?
and the Sheriff went back to his _posse_ to hold a council of war.