‘Good! Your intention, of course, was to deliver it to the enemy?’
‘Nary a doubt er thet,’ admitted Ephraim.
‘By whom you were commissioned to enter our lines and collect whatever information you could?’
‘Not at all,’ answered Ephraim sharply. ‘It war jest ez I told ye. I war a civilian tryin’ to escape out of yer lines. But the chance came ter me, and I took it.’
‘I need not tell you in return that the taking of that chance will cost you your life; for civilian though you may be, you are probably acquainted with the punishment incurred by a spy. It matters not at all that the paper has not been found upon you, since you have been identified and have confessed your guilt’——
‘Guilt!’ put in Ephraim quietly. ‘I han’t confessed to any guilt ez fur ez I know. I don’t call it a crime ter try and serve my country, whatever ye may do.’
‘We won’t go into the question of patriotism either,’ returned the provost-marshal. ‘Unfortunately for you, when a man is caught serving his country in the particular fashion in which you have elected to serve yours, there is only one thing to be done with him.’
‘I’d like ter be allowed ter ask ye, Mister Marshal,’ said Ephraim, ‘ef thar air none er your men prowlin’ around our lines jest ter see what they kin pick up? What’s the difference between them and me? Ain’t they servin’ their country, too, accordin’ ter their lights?’
‘I’ll allow that,’ answered the provost-marshal. ‘And if your fellows can lay them by the heels, they will serve them as we shall serve you—namely, hang them. But now, my man, seeing that you can’t get off, and that there is but one end in store for you, you may as well tell me what you have done with the despatch.’
‘It’ll make no difference to me, ye say? Ter the hangin’, thet is?’ queried Ephraim.