"But see here, major—"
"I won't stop to argue with you. Throw the belts down, or take the consequences."
"And what will the consequences be?" questioned Yadder.
"The consequences will be that I will form myself into a court-martial, find you guilty of desertion, and shoot you down where you stand. Come, do those belts go down or not?"
"I reckon they go down," grumbled Yadder; and unloosening the article, he allowed it to slip to the floor, seeing which, his companion followed suit.
"Now both of you hold your hands over your heads, while Captain Russell searches you for concealed weapons."
"We ain't got no concealed weapons."
"I didn't ask you to talk, I told you to hold up your hands."
With exceeding bad grace the two deserters, for such they really proved to be, held up their arms. Approaching them, Ben went through one pocket after another and felt in their bosoms. Each had a long native knife, such as are usually used in the rice-fields.
"I suppose you do not call those concealed weap-
