"Find me Charles Stuart, and I will retract what I have said. But I repeat, ye have done your work imperfectly. I will have every tree in the forest searched wherein a man might be hidden, and I will begin with this oak."
It will be readily supposed that the determination thus expressed by Colonel James caused great alarm to Charles and his companion, but their uneasiness increased when the Republican leader continued in an authoritative voice:
"Thou art active, Ezra. Dismount at once, and climb the tree."
The king and Careless gave themselves up for lost. There seemed to be no possibility of escape. But they were quickly relieved by Ezra's response to the order.
"No use in searching this oak, colonel."
"No use, sayst thou?"
"None, colonel. I have already discharged my caliver into the tree."
"That is true," said the other soldiers.
"Nay, if that be so, 'twere a waste of time to climb the tree," said James. "We will look out for another, further on."
"Shall we fire a volley into the tree, colonel, to make sure?" asked another of the soldiers.