"Regulators! Members of the association! But for the lad you are threatening to drown, the deputies might not have escaped from those whom Tryon sent in pursuit of us!"
Now it was Sidney had assistance in his efforts to procure for us a hearing, for the man set about making his neighbor acquainted with the facts, and in a twinkling a third understood that they had been trying to kill their friends.
When perhaps five minutes had passed, and time moved slowly to me who was expecting each instant that some impatient one would pitch me over the river bank, those in the middle of the throng came to know what we had been trying to tell them, and in a very few seconds afterward I was released from my bonds.
"It was a close shave for you," he who had been holding me by the throat said, as I stood before him gasping for breath. "We made certain you were trying to save the tax-collector."
"That is exactly what we were doing," I replied, speaking with difficulty because my windpipe was sore from the pressure so lately put upon it.
"Then you must be friendly to Tryon, else you would not speak a good word for that villain whom we count on killing as we would a rat!"
"It must not be done!" I cried frantically, raising my voice so that those in the immediate vicinity might hear. "If you kill him it will be said that it was done by orders of the Regulation, and Tryon will have right on his side when he overruns the country with soldiers. To raise your hands against an officer of the county is to weave a noose for those brave men in prison who will look to-morrow for your assistance! Nothing would please Tryon better than to have a reasonable excuse for throwing us all into jail!"
Then, as my voice failed, Sidney took up the theme:
"How much do you harm Tryon by killing Sandy Wells? The governor cares nothing about such as he, and would gladly reward the man who, by committing murder almost in the encampment of the Regulators, should give the king's minions power over us! Turn the tax-collector over to us. We will take him to General Hamilton, who is bound to see that he be held a prisoner, and to-morrow, if Tryon and Fanning play us false, we shall have one on whom to retaliate."
"Keep him till to-morrow!" a voice cried, and straightway I began to have hope that we might finally succeed in our purpose.