s to his friends with my
compliments. They deserve such treatment. Hang me, what right have
they to rebel?"

"They think they have a right."

"They think! Who are they? A lot of rapscalions who could not be
content with their own country, but must come out here, and when we
allow them to do so, they rebel. Englishmen worthy of the name never
rebel."

"And yet, general, there were a good many worthy Englishmen who
rebelled against James and supported William the Third."

"That was different, Gilmartin, different; they were patriots, and not
rebels."

"As these men will be if they are successful."

"But they cannot be successful--they cannot be. This fellow, Allen,
was a farmer. He calls himself colonel. Fancy, of the same rank as
you, Gilmartin, while you were trained in your boyhood for the army,
and when you were old enough got a commission----"

"Which I purchased, as I have had to every promotion."

Col. Gilmartin felt sore over his tardy promotions, and never waited a
second opportunity to tell his grievances.

Prescott had been one of the fortunates ones; he had obtained his
promotion easily, so he was satisfied with the condition of the army.

He was in no humor to listen to any complaints, and so he stopped his
brother officer by saying:

"Order at once the placing of that fellow, Allen, in the heaviest
irons--stay, I will give the order myself."

He sent for his orderly and gave instructions for Allen to be placed in
heavy irons and taken at once on board the _Gaspee_, war ship, and all
the other prisoners to be ironed and placed on board the other ships in
the river.

The soldiers were pleased with the order, and proceeded to carry it out
to the extreme limit.

Ordinary handcuffs were used for the wrists, two prisoners being
manacled together, Allen being fortunate in having Eben for his fellow.

But on the legs the irons were simply horrible.

Anklets, very tight, were locked on each leg, and attached, in the
middle of the connecting chain, to a bar of iron weighing forty pounds.

The soldiers laughed as they fastened this heavy weight on Allen's
legs, telling him that it was the "king's plate."

The irons were so close that it was impossible for the prisoner to lie
in any position save on his back.

Allen and Eben were taken to the lowest deck of the schooner _Gaspee_,
and a more stifling, filthy, ill-ventilated place it would be
impossible to find.

A mock salute was tender