Page:The Partisan (revised).djvu/134

 strong effort, suppressing as much as possible his aroused feelings, he addressed the Briton in tones of inquiry which left it doubtful what, in reality, those feelings were.

"And you desire that I should embrace this commission, Major Proctor, which, if I understand it, gives me command in a service which this proclamation is to insist upon&mdash;am I right?"

"It is so, sir; you are right. Here is a colonel's commission under his majesty, with power to appoint your own officers. Most gladly would I place it in your hands."

"Sir&mdash; Major Proctor, this is the rankest villany&mdash;villany and falsehood. By what right, sir, does Sir Henry Clinton call upon us for military service, when his terms of protection, granted by himself and Admiral Arbuthnot, secured all those taking them in a condition of neutrality?"

"It is not for me, Colonel Walton," was Proctor's reply&mdash;"it is not for me to discuss the commands of my superiors. But does not the proclamation declare these paroles to be null and void after the twentieth?"

"True. But by what right does your superior violate his compact? Think you, sir, that the Carolinians would have made terms with the invader, the conditions and maintenance of which have no better security than the caprice of one of the parties? Think you, sir, that I, at least, would have been so weak and foolish?"

"Perhaps, Colonel Walton&mdash;and I would not offend by the suggestion," replied the other with much moderation "perhaps, sir, it was a singular stretch of indulgence to grant terms at all to rebellion."

"Ay, sir, you may call it by what name you please; but the terms, having been once offered and accepted, were to the full as binding between the law and the rebel as between the prince and dutiful subjects."

"I may not argue, sir, the commands of my superior," rejoined the other, firmly, but calmly.

"I am not so bound, Major Proctor; it is matter for close argument and solemn deliberation with me, and it will be long, sir, before I shall bring myself to lift arms against my countrymen."