The silence in the bridge was so intense that Gill could hear the watch tick, and the sounds of Blind Benner's feet striking the board walk as he ran to Lizzī were borne to the ears of the crowd.
At last Henry said:
"Yer hev jist got a quarter uv a minit, Gill."
Clearing his throat, Gill made a sign with his hand that he was going to speak. The men came closer to him, and Henry put his watch away.
"I guess I ought to tell. I did set fire to the store because I wanted to get rid of the books. I meant to get out in time through the window; was just going to open it and jump when I heard Lizzī"—his voice faltered a little—"call for help and her axe strike the door downstairs. Then I thought I'd let her save me. You know how she pulled me out, but you didn't know that I was pretending I was overcome with the smoke."
"Why did yer want ter burn the books?" asked Thomas Myers.
"Because I had been stealing from Colonel Hornberger, and couldn't have hid it much longer."
He was very calm, but his face was blanched.
"Yer kin say yer prayers ef yer want ter," said Henry.
"Guess they wouldn't be much good," Gill remarked with a wan smile.