as a daring--and when angered even a desperate young man--and
they allowed him to say with impunity, freely what no one else could
even have whispered. His son in after years, looked not into the wolf's
eyes in the dark den with a sterner gaze, than he looked into the
superstitious and vengeful wolves' eyes around him.

"To think that a godly old woman like Mistress Nurse, should be
tormented by this Devil's brood of witches, led on by that she-devil
sister of mine, Ann Putnam."

Many around heard him, but none cared to meet the young man's fierce
eyes, as they blazed upon those that were nearest.

"Do control yourself, my friend," whispered Master Raymond. "Preserve
yourself for a time when your indignation may do some good."

Then the constable brought in a little girl of about five years of age,
Dorcas Good, a daughter of Sarah Good, who had been arrested on the
complaint of Edward and Jonathan Putnam.

The evidence against this little girl of five was overwhelming. Mistress
Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott were the accusers--charging
the innocent and pretty little creature with biting, pinching and
choking them--the little girl smiling while they were giving their
testimony. She was not old enough to understand what it was all about,
and that even her life was in danger from these demoniacs. They
absolutely pretended to show the marks of her little teeth in their
arms. Then, after going through the usual convulsions, they shrieked out
that she was running pins into them; and the pins were found on
examination sticking into their bodies.

The little girl was, as I have said, at first inclined to laugh at all
the curious proceedings, and the spasms and contortions of the
witnesses, but at last, seeing everyone so solemn and looking so
wickedly at her, she began to cry; until Joseph Putnam went up to her
and gave her some sweet cake to eat, which he had provided for his own
luncheon and then, looking into his kind face, she began to smile again.

The Magistrates frowned upon Master Putnam, as he did this, but he paid
no attention to their frowns. And when the little girl was ordered back
to jail as a prisoner to await her trial, he bent down and kissed her
before she was led away by the constable.

This was the end of the proceedings for that day and the crowd began to
disperse.

"This is a pretty day's work you have made of it, sister-in-law," said
Joseph Putnam, striding up to his brother's wife. "