They had their foolish regalia on, as
all the rest had,--there was plenty of lightning to see. The two in the
road were simply standing there in the rain, looking at me through the
eye-holes in their hoods. I knew there were others--plenty--but I thought
they were coming from behind me--the west.
"I wanted to get home--the court-house yard was good enough for me--so I
started east, toward town. I passed the two gentlemen; and one fell down
as I went by him, but the other fired a shot as a signal, and I got his
hood off his face for it--I stopped long enough--and it was Force Johnson.
I know him well. Then I ran, and they followed. A little ahead of me I saw
six or eight of them spread across the road. I knew I'd have a time
getting through, so I jumped the fence to cut across the fields, and I lit
in a swarm of them--it had rained them just where I jumped. I set my back
to the fence, but one of the fellows in the road leaned over and smashed
my head in, rather--with the butt of a gun, I believe. I came out from the
fence and they made a little circle around me. No one said anything. I saw
they had ropes and saplings, and I didn't want that, exactly, so I went
into them. I got a good many hoods off before it was over, and I can swear
to quite a number besides those I told you."
He named the men, slowly and carefully.
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