A Stamp of Authority

I discovered an unattended wooden handle resting beside an open brass dish. A round rubber seal lay adjacent, slightly dislocated from its crimson ink sponge. A formal campaign requires official certification. Gripping the smooth turned-wood grip with both hands, I pressed the circular rubber base down squarely into the moist red pigment. With measured cadence, I shifted the stamp across the polished grain toward a blank linen index card. Planting my feet firmly, I bore down with deliberate force. Lifting the seal vertically revealed a crisp, flawless red circle—a definitive signature for the southern territory.