cure
Rock"--a former sergeant, recently reduced. "If he hesitates to obey,
even for one second, cut him down." Up the stairs flew Williams, calling
to Rock to come down. "Yes, sir," answered Rock, "when I take my arms."
"You must come without them," said Williams. "Oh, I must have my arms,
sir," and as Rock stretched out his hand to seize his musket in the
arm-rack, Williams shouted, "If you lay one finger on your musket I
will cut you down," at the same time drawing his sabre. "Now, go down
before me." Rock obeyed, was placed in irons, and within half an hour
Clark, O'Brien, and nine other mutineers were embarked for York on the
schooner.

What a picture rises before us. The mid-day sun, the glittering
barrack-square, the scarlet and white tunics and polished side-arms of
the frightened soldiers, with Brock, the embodiment of power and stern
justice, towering above the shrinking culprits. Expiation of the offence
had yet to follow. The appetite of the law had to be appeased. The trial
took place at Quebec. Four mutineers and three deserters were condemned
to death, and in the presence of the entire garrison were executed. The
details of this are best unwritten. Through a shocking blunder, the
firing party discharged their carbines when fifty yards distant, instead
of advancing to within eight yards of the victims. The harrowing scene
rent Brock's heart. That the men who had fought so bravely under him at
Egmont and laughed at the carnage at Copenhagen should end their lives
in this manner was inexpressibly sad. After reading the account of the
execution of their comrades to the men on parade at Fort George, Brock
added, "Since I have had the honour to wear the British uniform I have
never felt grief like this." The prisoners publicly declared that had
they continued under our hero's command they would have escaped their
doom, "being the victims of unruly passions inflamed by vexatious
authority."

When Brock assumed command every possible privilege was extended to the
troops at Fort George. For every request, however trivial, he knew there
was some reason. His mind was big enough to trade in trifles.

In view of these desertions, the prospect of hostilities between Canada
and the United States became a momentous one. By close study of events
in France and America and intercourse with prominent United States
citizens, Brock detected the signs that precede trouble.

But the grave question of desertion and the war-clo