One of them threw his arm around her chair, thrust his face into hers, and said with a laugh:
"Don't hurry, my beauty; stay and take dinner wid us!"
Margaret again attempted to rise, and screamed, as Phil rushed into the room with drawn revolver. One of the negroes fired at him, missed, and the next moment dropped dead with a bullet through his heart.
The other leaped across the table and through the open window.
Margaret turned, confronting both Phil and Ben with revolvers in their hands, and fainted.
Ben hurried Phil out the back door and persuaded him to fly.
"Man, you must go! We must not have a riot here to-day. There's no telling what will happen. A disturbance now, and my men will swarm into town to-night. For God's sake go, until things are quiet!"
"But I tell you I'll face it. I'm not afraid," said Phil quietly.
"No, but I am," urged Ben. "These two hundred negroes are armed and drunk. Their officers may not be able to control them, and they may lay their hands on you—go—go!—go!—you must go! The train is due in fifteen minutes."
He half lifted him on a horse tied behind the hotel, leaped on another, galloped to the flag-station two miles out of town, and put him on the north-bound train.
"Stay in Charlotte until I wire for you," was Ben's parting injunction.
He turned his horse's head for McAllister's, sent the
