“Hanged! my William hanged! Hanged as a felon, and share an outlaw’s fate, with one familiarized to crime, and grown grey in iniquity—Impossible!”
“I did not say,” said Josiah coolly, “that their sentences would be the same. Ned Frank will probably be gibbeted for example—but Bill may—”
The quarter-master buried his head within his hands, and murmured, “My son! my son!”
“My father!” responded a voice, and my brother clasped the old man in his arms.
A moment passed in silence.
“Is this foul story true, William’ said the quarter-master, and in tones which seemed to dread an answer to the inquiry.
“False as hell!” was boldly responded, and again the son was locked more closely in his father’s arms.
“The tale is short. Accident brought me to the cliffs; I witnessed an unequal conflict—one man was assailed by three—and I joined him.”
“Right—by Heaven!” and for the first time my father lifted his head proudly.
“I took the weaker side, and as it would appear, I undesignedly have rescued a criminal.”