“That is no answer to my question, sir; but I´ll answer for you--you´re a Whig and in arms against the King, or would be. Where is your authority? And now another question and I have done with you: Where is the prickeared knave gone who pistolled poor Cornet White and sent another of ours to kingdom come? I´ll take my oath he was of your party.”
“I saw no pistolling,” said Gervase; “is it like in such force as you see us, we should fall upon a troop of dragoons? Why, man, it was because we were afraid to venture near you that we hid ourselves in the tangle yonder.”
“This jesting will not answer, Master Whig. I´ll give you one chance of saving your neck and only one--what way went he?”
“Look you here, sergeant,” said Gervase, seeing the desperate position in which he was placed, “I´m a gentleman, and it would profit you little to shoot or hang me. See this lady and myself safe through to Londonderry, and you will have twenty golden guineas for yourself and five for every man here in your company. I cannot say you fairer, and if not for my sake or the money´s, then for the sake of this helpless lady.”
“This lady will be well cared for, never fear, and for your guineas, I´m thinking by the time you got to Londonderry, they would be own brothers to the lads they are making in Dublin. Come, my man, you´ll have sixty seconds to answer my question, and then Hurrah for the kingdom of glory.” So saying he took a piece of rope from the hands of one of the men and began leisurely to measure it, a foot at a time, looking up occasionally from the operation to see how it affected the prisoner.
“My God! you would not hang me?”
“Ay, that I would, with a heart and a half and high as Haman, if the rope were long enough. The time is nearly up--How say you?”
“I say that I care not how you use me, if you see the lady safe. Hang me if you will.”
“The time is up and you have not answered an honest question. Now, lads, we´ll see if this heretic rogue can do anything but prate. It seems to me he looks a strolling player and may be one for all I know.” So saying he deftly threw the rope round the thick branch that grew over the road, and placed his hand on the prisoner´s shoulder.
Up to this time Dorothy could not believe that he meant to carry out his savage threat, but she saw now that this was no mere jest but a matter of life and death. The business was evidently to the taste of the troopers, and two of them laid aside their firelocks and placed their hands upon the rope. Then she sprang forward and caught the sergeant by the arm. “You do not mean what you say,” she cried, “he has never wronged you, nor have I, and had it not been for me and the dead old man yonder, he had not been in your power now. For my sake, for God´s sake, you will not injure him.”