“The arrest of the Princess will of course take place,” he answered, “and you, Mr. Bergwyn, will have to answer to the army for what you have done.”
“I am ready to face the band; but I am not the only one who will have to do that. That red-headed murderer who was here just now——”
“I cannot hear this,” he interposed.
“It’s part of my case, if you please,” said I, warmly. “He not only told the Princess, like the coward he is, that she was to die, but he himself drew his sword upon her. Then it was that my dog there flew at him—and I only wish he had torn his cowardly life out of him.”
“You may have an opportunity of defence.”
“‘May have,’” I cried, indignantly. “You are talking to an American citizen, sir, and you’ll find out how that Government views the acts of her people when they try to prevent innocent blood being shed, even if the acts themselves are wrong. I demand, right now, to have the protection of my country’s representative.”
“Your crime has been committed against the army, sir,” he said, coldly.
“Crime? Crime you call it?” I answered, passionately. “Crime? To tie up half a dozen men in order to prevent a real crime, murder, being committed? If mine is the crime, all I can say is I am guilty of it, and would be guilty of it a hundred times over.”
“This heat will serve no purpose, Mr. Bergwyn,” said the major, after a pause.
“You’re right there; we’ll have no more of it. I’ll tell you how the thing arose—for I’ve nothing to conceal;” and I told him plainly how I had overheard the talk between the spy from Gatrina’s house and just what I had done afterwards.