The next day Captain Shadrach drove to Ostable and spent several hours in consultation with Judge Baxter.

Adjusting matters by correspondence is a slow process at best, and the Captain, having surrendered unconditionally, was not the man to delay.
"I can settle more in ten minutes' talk," he told his partner, "than the three of us could in a month's letter-writin', especially if I had to write any of the letters.

I never was any hand to write letters; you know that, Zoeth.

And when I do write one the feller I send it to is liable to come around and ask me to read it 'cause he can't.

Like as not I can't either, if it's had time to get cold, and there we are, right where we started.