lter in the discharge of any
duty imposed upon you, or manifest the least disposition to betray the
order, your life will fall an immediate sacrifice for such delinquency. Are
you prepared for this?"

"I am!"

"Will you take upon yourself these obligations in the form of an oath?"

"I will!"

"The oath is a most solemn and binding one; perhaps you may consider it
horrible, and we want no faltering."

"I will take it."

"It involves life and death."

"I am prepared if it does."

"You cannot release yourself from its binding force; it is for life; and
whether you abide with us or not, it binds you to secrecy. No
after-thought, no change of feeling, no repentance can unchain its iron
links from your soul. Are you still resolved?"

"I am!"

"Let me here advise you, that one more step will place you beyond the pale
of retreat. Consider well what you are about to do. Until the oath is
administered, you are at liberty to retire, and, blindfolded as you came,
will be escorted to a place of safety to yourself and us, where we will
leave you as we found you; but once you have taken upon yourself the
obligations of the oath, all is fixed and immutable. Are you yet willing to
take this last step?"

"I am!"

"Enough! you are worthy to become a member of our order. Lay your right
hand upon your heart, your left upon the Book, and receive the oath."

THE OATH.

"I, Abram Hurd, calling heaven, earth and hell to witness, do most solemnly
swear, in presence of these, my fellow-beings, and into the ears of the
spirits of the invisible world, that I now take upon myself the obligation
of a member of the _Order of the League of Independents_, as laid down in
the rules ordained for the government of said Order, and explained to me
this night; and I also obligate myself to obey the officers of the League
who shall be appointed over me for the good government of the same, in the
performance of all and singular the duties that shall be required at my
hands; and I furthermore obligate myself to advance the interests of the
Order to the utmost of my ability, in all things and in all ways, even to
the taking of property and life, if need be; and in so doing will use all
the means of aid in my reach, including fire, steel and powder. And I most
solemnly swear, in the presence aforesaid, of the visible and invisible
worlds, that I will faithfully keep the secrets of the Order, and of all
the members of the same that shall be int