Mr. Stewart began now to be convinced of the im portance, both for his own safety and the good of the community, to adopt some measures for the punishment and expulsion from their neighbourhood of all suspicious characters, and such whose business was either unknown or disreputable, and loungers who appeared to have none. As the former were a positive nuisance, and the latter could be very conveniently dispensed with, and both might be much less harmless than appearances seemed to indicate. He accordingly proposed to a number of the better class of his neighbours the plan of organizing a regulating company, whose duty it should be to acquaint such characters with the resolutions of the neighbourhood, punishing disobedience in every instance, pursuant to the decisions of Judge Lynch, who, as a part of the arrangement, he suggested, should be clothed with unrestricted judicial authority. His proposition was readily acceded to by a number; though, to his great surprise, Clanton was found among those who refused their assent.

The first that experienced the effects of this new arrangement was a man named Tucker, from Arkansas, who, a short time before, had threatened Mr. Stewart's life. He was dealt with according to "the law," and ordered to leave the county immediately. The next was a man by the name of Glen, one of Murrell's clan, a notoriously base character. In the investigation of his case Mr. S. perceived, much to his disappointment and regret, that a little purging would by no means injure his company of associate "regulators." He found among the number some whom he

had strong reasons for suspecting of being friendly to, if not positively interested in, the measures of the clan; and through whose means Glen was finally acquitted and discharged. He saw at once that a company composed of such materials, so far from establishing order and expelling villany, would but give the appearance of order to the more secret and unsuspected, and consequently more dangerous, operations of the very individuals against whom they seemed to direct their authority; and hence determined to abandon them.

He was now not long in discovering the great insecurity of the position he occupied, and how little confidence was to be reposed even in those who pretended most to be his friends. He had already been apprized of the disposition towards him of those who had openly avowed their hostility to him, and sworn vengeance against his life and character. He now saw himself obliged to contend with a more subtle and secret, and therefore less manageable enemy. He became also convinced, on many accounts, that Vess and his family, who had by no means been wanting in professions of friendship, were not among the least malignant of these secret enemies; and was more than ever satisfied of the importance of procuring other accommodations so soon as an opportunity offered. Meanwhile Mr. Stewart employed himself in examining and taking the numbers of unappropriated lands in the Purchase. Returning home late one evening from one of these land-hunting excursions, he found himself obliged to alone. When he had swallowed a cup of coffee, and was preparing to take a second, he was taken

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suddenly very sick, and rose from the table vomiting most violently. From the demeanour and general appearance of his landlord and lady during the operation, he had much reason to fear that he had been poisoned, though he had then no sufficient evidence of the truth of his conjectures to warrant him in making them public. His vomiting, continued by repeated draughts of warm water, which his fears of poison had induced him to take, was followed by great debility, accompanied with spasmodic symptoms. In this situation Mr. Stewart began to revolve more seriously in his mind his highly perilous condition, the ten thousand dangers that beset his path, and the great degree of cautious circumspection necessary to be observed in all his future movements; and a more careful review of Vess's recent conduct in connexion with this last strange and mysterious occurrence, left but little doubt on his mind that his life had been compassed, and that Vess had been deputed to administer the fatal dose. On the following day he inquired of Clanton whether Vess had ever mentioned to him that he had a claim against his estate at the time it was believed he had been assassinated. He replied that "he had, but that he was drunk, and he had attributed it all to that." Clanton appeared much confused on the occasion; which, with his recent change of conduct towards him, Mr. Stewart found himself at fault to account for insomuch that he did not venture, as had been his intention, to make known to him his opinion of Vess.

Returning home late in the afternoon of the same day, from the examination of a tract of land in the

neighbourhood, a man rode up from his rear and fell in company with him, armed with a pair of holsters and a large Buoyer knife. Mr. S., as was natural, with the knowledge he had by this time acquired of his situation, put himself at once upon his guard; for, unarmed as he was, contrary to custom, should his new companion be of the Murrell tribe, he saw his only safety in cautious and well-managed dissimulation. The stranger rode near him, and, after the usual commonplace of travellers, inquired whether he had any acquaintances in the country about Troy; and, among others, whether he knew a family of Glens (a name, bythe-way, which Mr. Stewart at once recognised among the associates of Murrell). His suspicions, already partially kindled by the stranger's equipments, were at once confirmed, and he had but little doubt that he was in the presence of a member of the clan. The stranger continued his inquiries, as will appear in the following dialogue :

Stranger. "Are you acquainted with a man in this country by the name of V. A. Stewart ?"

Mr. Stewart. " Yes, sir, just as well as I would wish to be with all such fellows."

Stranger. "What, do you not like him, sir?"

Mr. Stewart. "I have seen people I liked as well." Stranger. "Have you any particular objection to this fellow, Stewart ?"

Mr. Stewart. "O! yes, many."

Stranger. "If you are not averse to telling your objections to him, I should like to hear them, as I dislike him very much myself."

Mr. Stewart. "O! he is too smart. Interferes with

things which do not concern him. He had no right to take the advantage he did of a man by the name of Murrell.".

"Stranger. "Do you understand this ?-[giving his hand a flirt. Mr. Stewart answered the sign with a flirt of his hand.] Oh! yes, you are up to it. I am glad to see you, sir; what is your name ?—[shaking hands.]"

Mr. Stewart. "I have several names; but, whenever I wish to be very smart, or successful in speculation and trade, I go by the name of Tom Goodin. I see you are a master of mystic signs-what is your name, sir?"

Stranger. "My name is George Aker, sir, and I am on a mission from our council to stop the wind of Stewart. Can you give me any assistance in the matter?"

Goodin. "O! yes, sir, I am the very man to assist you in that business. I did not know there had been a meeting on the subject; but, so soon as I heard of the misfortune, and heard where Stewart lived, I was soon in his neighbourhood, waiting for a good opportunity. I have been very cautious and still. I have managed to get acquainted with Stewart, and have had some tolerably good chances; but have been waiting for a better. He thinks me a very clever fellow, and I have been waiting to get him off by ourselves."

Aker. "We collected and consulted on what plan to pursue to destroy the rascal, and restore the character of those whom he has betrayed. We have got him in a close box. He is living with his enemies, and the friends of some of the men whom he has aspersed.