forming an escort to and the prisoners who had been captured with him their progress was by the crowd that thronged upon their amongst whom were some who scarcely attempted to conceal their sympathy with the prisoners and who by signs if not by words cheered them with the hope of from their present of recognition were exchanged with and significant gestures made which he was at no loss to comprehend the press increased as they drew near the door of the town house and in the disorder incident to the introduction of the prisoners into the building more than one of the in the late found an occasion to assure the master of the by a brief hint of their readiness to co operate in seizing the and his crew were conducted into the presence of the by who leaving the guard in the hall or passage way that separated the court room from that occupied by the council ranged the prisoners within the apartment on either side of the door which being left open exposed to view the who were thus in a position to do their duty in case any should render their interference necessary whilst the crowd at the same time itself into the hall with such as to leave but little space for the occupation of the guard had lost none of the that his after his surrender on the day previous he was somewhat paler owing to the wound upon his brow by ic rob of the bowl was now bound up with a of black silk that in some degree the sickly aspect of his complexion still the fire of his spirit sparkled in his eye and a sullen as he looked in the face rested on his features a slight but guarded expression of surprise flashed across his countenance when his glance encountered bob of the bowl he was unaware of the presence of the in the port nor had he up to this moment ever entertained a suspicion that bob had deserted him the escape of the secretary he alone to the carelessness of the the failure of the to meet him at the he set down to accident and and her presence now in the harbor to a cause altogether with any conjecture of treachery in the even the old man s presence before the council he attributed to force and believed him to be like himself a prisoner in this conviction he now found himself before the chief authorities of the province he was of course and as all eyes were turned upon him he stood with folded arms his cloth cap dangling from his hand gazing in silent defiance upon the assembly he meditated no purpose of defence to the charges which he expected to hear the facts of his late outrage admitted none and the presence of the secretary assured him that the crime he had attempted to on all soul s eve had been in all its and with such full of the actors in it as to render useless all attempt even at the gesture of the his confident port and look even of scorn provoked an instant emotion of resentment in the as well as of the greater number of those who surrounded him he said dost thou approach us with this front to brave our authority m the province does no sense by ic rob of bo w� of crime thy brow that here in the presence of those whom thou hast most wronged thou thy face without a blush i richard you came hither as all men thought a peaceful and found the friendship of the port accorded to you without or question again and again you left us and returned and the ever gave you hearty welcome to their homes how brief a span is it since we saw you breaking bread and sharing the wine cup with this aged father whose daughter villain thou to carry off by force in the dead hour of the night hast thou not against the life of the secretary thou not murder the bloody and man thou not like a coward strike at the gray hairs of this venerable man when thou upon him in his sleep no replied the leader in a voice loud and angry by the presence of the chief of the province and by his he lies who says i struck at the i though by st may claim no favor at my hands � favor at thy hands exclaimed the who could not sit quiet whilst the spoke � a boy who to play at man s game with men � a boy to me thus i pray you master interposed the mildly do not interfere i struck not at the repeated i look to match my sword with men not spent with age when others would have beaten this old man to the ground i saved him i not against the secretary s life he continued answering the which the had at random heaped upon him i the as a hound that had been set to track my path i carried away this old man s daughter because i loved her are you answered lord t by ic bob of the bowl impudent returned the with an of speech altogether dost thou beard us with the confession of thy crimes have the laws of the province no terrors for thee i never acknowledged your s laws retorted the seaman scornfully i have lived above them � coming when i would and going when it pleased me by st your hath but a sorry set of you might do well to teach the better half of the to remember that charles claims to be lord and master of this province � they seem to have forgotten it you think i am my lord i have but one master here � old rob of the my fellow prisoner � we 