"And I guess that the voters of this district
are going to do it, and the boys, too," he continued, pointing up to us
on the ladder.
He had refused to speak from the pulpit, and so stood on the floor of
the house--in what he described as his proper place; the pulpit, he
said, was no place for politics.
After so many years I cannot pretend to remember all that Uncle Hannibal
said; besides, my attention was largely engrossed in directing the
nozzle of the smoker at those cracks between the laths. Addison and I
were badly crowded on the ladder, and the small rungs were not
comfortable to stand on. Now and then, in spite of our efforts, an
Egyptian got through the cracks and dived down near Uncle Hannibal's
head.
"A little more smoke up there, boys!" he would cry, pretending to dodge
the insect. "I thought I heard an Egyptian then, and it sounded a little
like Brother Morrill's voice!"
The great buzzing that was going on up in the loft was plainly audible
below. Now and again Uncle Hannibal cocked his ear to listen, and once
he cried, "The Egyptians are rallying! We are going to have a hard fight
with them this year. Don't let them rob us!"
When the old Squire introduced the next speaker, Judge Peters, Senator
Hamlin remarked that Peters was a hard stinger himself, as many a
criminal had learned to his cost.
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