There was in his mind the same thought as had come into mine, and he turned to look me full in the face as he said, almost shouting in order that I might hear the words above the uproar:
"It may cost us our lives to interfere! I do not recognize any of these men, and they will refuse to listen."
At this moment Sandy Wells caught sight of us, and, stretching out his bound hands, cried imploringly:
"Save me, lads! For God's sake don't allow me to be murdered!"
"That we won't!" I cried, suddenly forgetting that I was running my nose into very serious danger until we could make that maddened desperate mob understand who we were, which last would require some time while the tumult was so great.
Forcing myself with a rush between two of those who had a hold upon Sandy, I seized the prisoner by the arm as I cried with the full force of my lungs:
"You are ruining the cause of freedom when you lay violent hands upon this man! Have a care, or there'll be mischief done to more than him!"
I had hardly finished speaking before half a dozen rushed forward, one seizing me by the throat, despite all Sidney's efforts to hold him back, and crying:
"Here's another of Tryon's friends! we'll drop him into the stream to bear the tax-collector company!"
I tried in vain to speak; but the fellow had my throat as if in a vise, and it was impossible to so much as whisper.