“You have heard the penalties suggested for the offences of the two gentlemen accused. All who favor such punishment will show it by raising their right hands.”
Every man in the room, except the chairman, voted in the affirmative.
“It isn’t worth while to put the negative. The accused have heard the verdict, which is that Mr. Bidwell shall not drink a drop of anything except water or coffee for a period of four days, dating from this moment, while Mr. Ruggles is to undergo the same penalty for a period of one week.”
“That’s right,” growled Bidwell; “for he drank about half of what was in the bottle only a few minutes ago.”
“And you would have drunk it all,” retorted Ruggles, “if you’d knowed what was coming.”
CHAPTER V
A HUNDRED FOLD
All this may seem a trifling matter to the reader who does not understand the real punishment suffered by these two men, who, like all the rest of their companions, had been accustomed to the use of ardent spirits for many years. There was no deprivation which they could not have borne with less distress, but their great consolation was that both knew the penalty was fully deserved, and they would not have complained had it been made more severe.