"I will answer for it that he does not escape. You know me, and you can accept my assurance. Is that satisfactory?"
There was a sullen murmur among the miners. It was evident that they were not wholly satisfied.
The captain of police watched them keenly and saw that there was danger of an attack.
He drew a pistol, and holding it firmly in his hand, said: "The first man that interferes with me in the discharge of my duty, dies. I give you fair warning."
A determined man generally carries his point, even against odds. Had the captain showed the slightest sign of wavering, the mob would have been upon him. But they saw that he was in earnest, and meant what he said.
"How long is he to live?" asked the brawny miner already referred to, after a slight pause.
"I shall take him before the magistrate at once, and you know he is not likely to defer punishment."
The police magistrate who dispensed justice, and frequently injustice, at Bendigo, was noted for his severity, and this assurance seemed to satisfy the miners. They followed the cavalcade, however, to make sure that the captain kept his word. It may be stated here that, at this early period in the history of the colony, the judicial forms which prevail in other countries were for the most part dispensed with, and punishment was swift and certain, especially where life or property had been attacked.
Harry and Jack followed the crowd to a wooden structure more pretentious than most of the buildings roundabout. The magistrate—whom I will call Judge Wood—was at hand. He was a short, stout man, of severe aspect, and had a harsh voice.
"Whom have we here?" he asked quickly.