From thenceforward throughout, the whole of the time of C. B. was thus occupied, but to every other class of persons beside reporters he returned the same curt answer “No.” All, however, did not take it as the first pair had done, the photographers especially being almost painfully persistent. But, having made up his mind to a certain course of action, believing it to be right, there was no hope of turning C. B.; he was adamant, although as kind and yielding as could be in anything that he felt did not matter.
At last, as he was dismissing the fiftieth interviewer, Mr. Stewart came in and laying his hand upon C. B.’s shoulder said kindly—
“Come on, dear boy, and have some food, you must need it. Billy, if anybody else calls and wants to see Mr. Adams, tell them that he is engaged until 6 p.m., and that no one is to see him until then. Now you understand what I mean. No one, whatever their business may be.”
“Yes, sir,” replied the attendant, and C. B. left to wash his face and hands and have a comfortable meal.
It was, except for C. B., the happiest luncheon any of them had taken for a long time, for C. B.’s solemn description—he had hardly any idea of a joke—of the various demands of his visitors made them rock with laughter. Especially Captain Taber; but Miss Stewart was quite sympathetic, except that she could not help smiling at the simplicity of C. B.’s supposition that the majority of these people would take “No” for an answer. He said—
“We were taught, ‘let your yea be yea, and nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil’; and yet some of these people wouldn’t believe me, though I said no as plainly as I could say it more than a dozen times.”
“Ah, well,” said Mr. Stewart at last, “your best time is yet to come. This afternoon you are to be at the Court to give evidence at the trial, and then, if I mistake not, there will be fun. Hallo, what’s that?” as an attendant came hurriedly in with a dirty envelope which he handed to C. B., saying—
“I wouldn’t have brought it, sir, but the guy that give it me held a gun at me head and said if I didn’t he’d empty it into me.”
Not a word was spoken as C. B. opened it and read—
“There’s a thousand dollars in gold ready for you if you say in court you never seen the prisoners before, that you don’t recognize ’em. There’s another thousand if they get acquitted through your evidence. And there’s sudden death for the hull gang of you if they get sent up. Bearer waits.”