"Chattanooga," answered Tom. He said it coolly but it required an effort.
"And yer going with me," replied the man.
"That so?" asked Wilson. "I can think of better company if you're going to
keep that rifle waving around in the air. What's the matter with you?"
"Put your hands up, an' keep 'em up," ordered the man.
"Well, this way we won't take the wrong road again," said Tom. "I'd rather
walk at the end of a rifle than drown in this mud. The folks at home'll
laugh when they hear that we were held up just as soon as we got in the
South."
"Hey? What's that?" demanded the man.
"If you're after our money you won't get much," Tom replied.
"I ain't after yer money," said the man. "I'm after you."
"What sort of a Yank trick is this!" demanded Wilson.
"Huh?"
"I'm asking what sort of a Yank trick this is? Are you a Southerner or are
you a Yank?"
"I'll unload this gun into your head if you call me a Yank," answered the
man.
"Then what do you want?"
"I'm arresting you in the name of the law for burning bridges. That's what
I want."
"Burning what?"
"Burning bridges!" shouted the man. "An' don't stand there the rest of the
day talking, either."
"You seem to be running the talking match," said Tom.
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