"You can hear for yourself," the man replied, forced to shout even though he stood close beside us by this time, because of the tumult in the vicinity of the court-house. "Before the trial had come to an end the building was filled with soldiers, while the remainder of the governor's force encircled it. If a fight is begun our friends will be shot down by hundreds, with no opportunity to strike a blow save with their bare fists."
Without waiting for the word of command every Regulator mounted his horse, and all of us waited for the signal from our commander, who had drawn near to hear the report made by the messenger.
He stood with his chin on his breast like one stunned, neither looking up nor speaking, while the cries from the opposite side of the river increased in fury each instant.
"Are we to sit here while our friends are imprisoned without cause?" a horseman near me asked angrily, and Master Hamilton raised his head as if to make reply, when some one shouted:
"Here comes Master Husband! They have set him free!"
The man who had been in jail nearly six months for having dared to say that Tryon had no authority to levy a tax to build himself a palace, could be seen walking rapidly toward the ford, and all understood that nothing would be done by us until he arrived.
Master Hamilton rode down to meet him, and the two remained in private converse five minutes or more before coming up to where we awaited them with the utmost impatience.
Then it was that our commander spoke:
"Gentlemen, it is our duty to prevent the people of upper Carolina from beginning a conflict with the king's troops. We must not permit ourselves to commit any act of violence against the governor until after due deliberation, for all which we do now is the same as if we moved against the king. By Master Husband's advice, we shall ride into town, and do our best to prevent a conflict which would cost the lives of hundreds of our friends and neighbors. I beseech you that, however great the provocation, all this company keep well together in military formation, and obey every order to the letter. Later, when some of those who are absent can take part in our deliberations as is their right, we will settle upon a course of action."
Some one offered Master Husband a horse, on which he rode by the side of our leader as we crossed the river and went from thence to the court-house, or, I should say, as near as it was possible to advance.