ce from
Katharine to her father.

"What, sir! I reach through your insolent pride now, do I? Curse
you!" with sudden heat, throwing off even the mask of politeness he had
hardly worn. "I swore I would have revenge for that insult at
Williamsburg, and now it's my hour. You are to go with me, and go
peaceably and quietly, or, by God, I 'll have you kicked and dragged
out of the building, or killed like that old fool who tried to stop us
coming up on the landing."

"What! Blodgett, my old friend Blodgett! You villain, you haven't
dared to kill him, have you? Oh, my faithful--"

"Silence, sir! We dare anything. What consideration has a rebel a
right to expect at the hands of his majesty's faithful Rangers? You,
Bruce and Denton, seize the old man. If he makes any trouble, knock
him down, or kill him, for aught I care. One of you, take the girl
there. As for you, sir," to Seymour, who had been quietly watching the
scene, "I don't know who you are, but you are in bad company, and you
will have to consider yourself a prisoner; I trust you have sense
enough to come without force being used. And so," clapping his hat on
his head defiantly, "God save the king!"

Two of the soldiers seized the colonel in spite of the vigorous
resistance he made; another approached Katharine, who had stood with
clasped hands during the whole of the colloquy between Johnson and her
father. The soldier rudely chucked her under the chin, saying, "Come
on, my pretty one! you 'll give us a kiss, won't you, before we start?"
As she drew back, paling at the insult, Seymour, who had seen and heard
it all, quick as a flash drew his sword, and threw himself upon the
soldier; one rapid thrust at the surprised man he made, with all the
force and skill begotten of long practice and a strong arm, and the
hilt of his blade crushed against the man's throat, and he fell dead
upon the floor. At the same instant one of the other soldiers, who had
observed the action, struck Seymour over the head with his clubbed
musket, and he also fell heavily to the floor, and lay there senseless
and still, blood running from a fearful-looking wound in his forehead.
The room was filled with tumult in an instant, and with shouts of "Kill
him!" "Shove your bayonet through the damn rebel hound!" "Shoot him!"
"Kill him!" the men moved towards Seymour. Johnson looked on
unconcernedly.

"Good God!" shrieked the colonel, writhing in the grasp of the men who
held hi