'I am too sinful to be thus employed,' returned Bolton. 'I am not worthy, Somers, even to walk in the footsteps of those holy men, who are now purging the land of its sin and shame.'
'You are worthy,' replied Somers, 'to have a rope fastened to your neck, and to be swung from a gallows as high as Haman's. What a wretch you are, Bolton, to see the innocent murdered around you, and exult in their death!'
'You must take care of your language, Somers, if you would save your own neck; there is to be another hanging to-morrow, and when that is over we shall want other victims; and your chance is getting to be a fair one. Why, if Mr. Parris, or Mr. Noyes, had heard half what you have said to me, you would be in prison this very night!'
'As to my own chance, it will be hard business to hang me up; but no thanks to you, Bolton, if it is not done to-morrow. You are under a strange delusion, and I must allow something for that. You were a good neighbor once, and I hope will be so again; but the time looks very distant to me. I am down this afternoon to get the first chance at Captain Ringbolt's assortment. Pistols, according to my way of thinking, will be in good demand; and I want something to defend myself with, and to put a shot or two into you, in case you should be an informer. At any rate, I am determined to have a first-rate pair for myself. You know I have some skill in the use of them. Will you go on board?'
'Not I,' said Bolton; 'I never go where pistols and powder are about, except when I use them in the holy cause. I hope you will think no more of what I said, Somers; you know I would not betray a friend.'
'There is no telling what you may do in such times as these; but there is little danger, so long as you are within reach of my pistol; beyond that, I would not trust you an hour. By the way, Bolton, have you no fears that Satan may carry you off, while you are hanging up his subjects? I wonder he does not appear in their behalf. If I believed as much as you do, I would not dare to stand guard over Miss Lyford.'
'I have weapons to fight him that you know nothing of, Somers. I have had some glimpses of him at twilight, but he saw me clothed in such armor that he dared not approach. I once met this same Apollyon in the day-time, but only a small part of his dragon form was visible; and when I held up the holy gospels, he vanished into thin air.'
'If you should be called to grapple with him in person,' returned Somers, 'you would be more likely to make a treaty with him than to show fight. I am not sure, but it would be well for you to see what terms you can make with him; for I am well assured he will have his own terms by and by, and carry you off;—not that you are worth even the devil's acceptance, but because he is sent to look after such as you.'
At that moment Captain Ringbolt landed, and Bolton walked off, not exactly at his ease; for he knew that the honest and sturdy Somers was a dangerous enemy to such characters as he knew himself to possess; besides, it was time to resume his station as guard to Miss Lyford. 'I shall be released to-morrow,' thought he, 'and then I will make peace with Somers, and see if I cannot muster a little pity for the witch, and this will be sure to win his favor.'
Meanwhile, Somers went on board the Water Witch with Captain Ringbolt, and, entering the cabin, they conferred a short time, and soon settled the plan of operations. The crew of the schooner were entirely ignorant of Ringbolt's intended movements; and though a little suspicious that the voyage to Salem was not exactly of a trading character, they were so well trained and disciplined as perfectly to understand that nothing was to be said, even among themselves; all they had to do was to obey the orders of their superior.