" persons were possessed by devils.

She inclined to this view in preference even to what she knew was Ellis
Raymond's real conviction, that they were a set of hysterical and
vicious girls and women who had rendered themselves half-insane by
tampering for a whole winter with their nervous and spiritual
organizations; until they could scarcely now distinguish the true from
the untrue, the real from the unreal, good from evil, or light from
darkness.

"They have become reprobates and given over to an evil mind," said
Master Raymond to her one day; clothing his thought as nearly as he
could in scriptural language, in order to commend it to her.

"Yes, this seems to be a reasonable explanation of their wicked
conduct," replied Dulcibel. "But I think after all, that it amounts to
about the same thing as Joseph Putnam says, only that his is the
stronger and more satisfactory statement."

And thinking of it, Master Raymond had to come to the same conclusion.
His own view and that of his friends were about the same, only they had
expressed themselves in different phrases.

CHAPTER XIV.

Bad News.

The blow fell at last, and where they might have expected it. As Joseph
Putnam said afterwards, "Why did I not bring them out to my house? They
would not have dared to take them from under my roof, and they could not
have done it if they had dared."

One of his servants had been sent to the village on an errand; he had
not performed his errand, but he had hurried back at once with the news.
Dulcibel Burton had been arrested the previous evening, about nine
o'clock, on the charge of being a witch. Antipas Newton had also been
arrested. Both had been taken to prison, and put in irons.

A desperate, determined look came into the faces of the two men as they
gathered every word the servant had to tell. Young Mistress Putnam burst
into tears. But the men dashed a tear or two from their eyes, and began
to collect their thoughts. It was not weeping but stern daring, that
would be needed before this thing was through.

The prisoners were to be brought up that afternoon for examination. "I
have my two men, who will follow wherever I lead them," said Master
Putnam. "That makes four of us. Shall we carry her off from under their
very eyes?" And his face glowed--the fighting instinct of his race was
very strong within him.

"It might not succeed, those men are neither cowards nor babies,"
answered his guest. "Besides, it wou