But there was a little resistance on the part of the accusing party.
“Look here,” growled Redbeard fiercely, “I want to know what this means.”
“The rope and the tree for you and your friends if you fire, sir,” cried the judge sternly.
“But—”
“Stand where you are,” cried the judge. “Six of you take those other two outside, quite apart, and mind, you are answerable to your sheriff for bringing them back.”
Redbeard growled as he stood beneath the great lamp, the two others which had been burning having been turned out so that a better view could be had from behind of each stage of the proceedings.
“Look here,” cried Redbeard fiercely, as his companions were led out, “why aren’t the prisoners to be sent out too? Is this fair play, pardners?”
“Yes,” said the judge; “they are the prisoners. I only want your witnesses to be out of court.”
There was a dead silence while the two men were led away, and a ray of hope began to shed light through the darkness of despair in the young men’s brains, as they read in all this a strange desire on the part of their amateur judge to do justice between the parties.
They glanced round through the smoke of the gloomy place, to see fierce eyes fixed upon them on all sides, while in front there was the judge and his supporters, and their red-bearded, savage-looking accuser beneath the lamp, which shone full upon him. The smoke now hung above them in a dense cloud.