“Have you the governor's authority for this particular act?”
“In a general way we have.”
“In a word, you are not acting under his authority, and you know it. Take the man down this moment.”
The men hesitated.
“If you don't I shall.”
The turnkeys, a little staggered by his firmness, began to confer in whispers. The chaplain, who was one of your decided men, could not wait the consultation. He sprang to Robinson's head and began to undo the collar. The others, seeing this decided move, came and helped him. The collar and the strap being loosed, the thief's body, ensacked as it was, fell helplessly forward. He had fainted during the discussion; in fact, his senses were shut when the chaplain first came to the cell. The chaplain caught him, and being a very strong man, saved him from a dangerous fall and seated him gently with his back to the wall. Water was sprinkled in his face. The chaplain went hastily to find the governor. He came to him pale and out of breath.
“I found the turnkeys outraging a prisoner.”
“Indeed!” said the governor. It was a new idea to him that anything could be an outrage on a prisoner.
“They confessed they had not your authority, so I took upon me to undo their act.”
“Humph!”