ual, be his rank what it may." He paused, but
a general murmur of applause showed the full approval of his grim
auditory. "You, sir," he continued, with the solemnity of a judge passing
sentence, "are one great obstacle to the possession of our public rights.
You are a man of talents and courage, and so much the more dangerous to
the patriot cause. You would disdain our folly, if we threw away the
chance which fortune has put into our hands;--you must die. If we were in
your power, the scaffold would be our portion. You are now in ours, and
the question between us is decided." I felt, from his tone, that all
remonstrance was useless; and I scorned to supplicate. "Do as you will," I
indignantly exclaimed. "I make but one request. It is, that no imputation
shall be suffered to rest on my memory; that the manner of my death shall
be made known; and that no man shall ever be suffered to believe that I
died a coward or a traitor." "It shall be done," slowly pronounced the
president. I heard the click of a trigger, and looking up at the sound,
saw one of the sitters at this board of terror, without moving from his
place, deliberately levelling it at my head. I closed my eyes. In the next
instant, I heard a scuffle; the pistol was knocked out of his hand, and a
voice hurriedly exclaimed, "Are you all mad? For what purpose is this
butchery? Whom are you about to murder? Do you want to bring a curse upon
our cause?" All rose in confusion; but the stranger made but one spring to
the spot where I stood, and fixing his eyes on me with astonishment,
loudly repeated my name. As the light fell on him, I recollected at once,
though his hat was deeply drawn over his eyes, and a huge cloak was
wrapped round him, palpably for the purpose of concealment, the rebel
leader whom I had so strangely met before. He turned to the table. "And is
it in this infamous way," he fiercely exclaimed, "that you show your love
of liberty? Is it in blood that you are to dip your charter; is it in
making every man of common sense despise, and every man of humanity abhor
you, that you are to seek for popular good-will? Down with your weapons!
The first man who dares to use them, I declare a traitor to his country!"
His energy made an impression; and giving me his hand, which, even in that
anxious moment, I could perceive to be as cold as stone, he pronounced the
words, "Sir, you are free!" But for this they were not prepared; and some
exclamations rose, in which