"You young men appear to be quite at your ease," the commissioner said, surveying our indifference with no favorable eye.
"Why should we not be?" asked Fred; "we have a license for our store, we have paid for our goods, and owe no man a penny."
"Does your license extend to killing and robbing men?" asked the commissioner, in an insolent tone, and one that we knew he used to insult us with.
Fred sprang to his feet, and an angry reply was upon his tongues, but I managed to check him.
"An explanation of these words is required," I said, as mildly as my nature would allow; and to my surprise, instead of facing me, and answering, the commissioner pointed to the stains on the floor, and asked, in a sneering tone,—
"Whose blood is that?"
"That of an old and helpless man," I returned, bearing his searching glance without flinching, although I had an inward feeling that told me that we were standing in a suspicious attitude, and that one false move would wreck us both.
"Remember," Mr. Sherwin continued, "I do not ask you to criminate yourselves, but if a full confession is made, I will lay the matter before the governor-general, and perhaps he may be disposed to grant you some mercy. I fancy that a frank confession would be the most desirable course for both of you to pursue," the commissioner said, in a careless tone, as though he did not care whether we complied with his advice or not.
"All the confession that we can make is to tell the truth," cried Fred, who always grew cooler the more imminent the danger; "we will simply state the facts, and then you can judge of our guilt."
The commissioner made a sign for Fred to go on, although I could see by his face that he was anticipating a yarn, and was prepared to believe just as much of it as he pleased.