Together, you would stand some chance against those men; separately they could eat you up, Cato." "I wouldn't trust too much to some of dem niggers standing together, sah," said Gate darkly.

"Dey'd run before de old masters--if they didn't run to 'em.

Shuah!" A fear of this kind had crossed Courtland's mind before, but he made no present comment.

"I found two of the armory rifles in the men's cabins yesterday," he resumed quietly.

"See that it does not occur again! They must not be taken from the armory except to defend it." "Yes, sah." There was a moment of silence.