ey had pounced on Ben.

They arrested as a witness an old negro named John Stapler, noted for his
loyalty to the Camerons. The doctor had saved his life once in a dangerous
illness. They were going to put him to torture and force him to swear that
Ben Cameron had tried to bribe him to kill Ashburn. General Howle, the
Commandant of the Columbia district, was in Charleston on a visit to
headquarters.

Phil resorted to the ruse of pretending, as a Yankee, the deepest sympathy
for Ashburn, and by the payment of a fee of twenty dollars to the Captain,
was admitted to the fort to witness the torture.

They led the old man trembling into the presence of the Captain, who sat
on an improvised throne in full uniform.

"Have you ordered a barber to shave this man's head?" sternly asked the
judge.

"Please, Marster, fer de Lawd's sake, I ain' done nuttin'--doan' shave my
head. Dat ha'r been wropped lak dat fur ten year! I die sho' ef I lose my
ha'r."

"Bring the barber, and take him back until he comes," was the order. In an
hour they led him again into the room blindfolded, and placed him in a
chair.

"Have you let him see a preacher before putting him through?" the Captain
asked. "I have an order from the General in Charleston to put him through
to-day."

"For Gawd's sake, Marster, doan' put me froo--I ain't done nuttin' en I
doan' know nuttin'!"

The old negro slipped to his knees, trembling from head to foot.

The guards caught him by the shoulders and threw him back into the chair.
The bandage was removed, and just in front of him stood a brass cannon
pointed at his head, a soldier beside it holding the string ready to pull.
John threw himself backward, yelling:

"Goddermighty!"

When he scrambled to his feet and started to run, another cannon swung on
him from the rear. He dropped to his knees and began to pray.

"Yas, Lawd, I'se er comin'. I hain't ready--but, Lawd, I got ter come!
Save me!"

"Shave him!" the Captain ordered.

While the old man sat moaning, they lathered his head with two
scrubbing-brushes and shaved it clean.

"Now stand him up by the wall and measure him for his coffin," was the
order.

They snatched him from the chair, pushed him against the wall, and
measured him. While they were taking his measure, the man next to him
whispered:

"Now's the time to save your hide--tell all about Ben Cameron trying to
hire you to kill Ashburn."

"Give him a few minutes," said the Captain, "and