ar him--perhaps one of our own people--seeing the
soldiers were threatened with bodily harm, and that there was every
danger of their receiving severe injuries, cried: 'Why don't you fire?'"

"And that is exactly what I heard," Amos said, quickly. "I was looking
at the captain at that fatal moment, and, although it hadn't occurred
to me from that time until this, I am certain he never gave the
command to fire. Nevertheless, the soldiers all shot to kill."

"True, lad," Mr. Gore said, sorrowfully, "and if the military remain
in the city, it will be impossible for the authorities to prevent
further conflicts, more especially now that the people are fully
aroused by the bloodshed."

When Amos set out for home at a late hour that evening, he saw the
members of the citizens' watch parading the streets, and there came to
him a sense of deepest relief after the terrible events of the past
week, with the knowledge that for a certain time, at least, the good
city of Boston would be properly guarded by her own people.

Despite this new feeling of safety, he started with apprehension,
almost alarm, when a dark figure crept cautiously toward him as he was
passing the head of Water Street, and an instant later he stood with
his back against the palings in an attitude of self-defence, for he
who had approached so stealthily was Hardy Baker.

"Don't act as if you was going to fight me," the barber's apprentice
said, piteously. "Don't do that, Amos! I know I tried to make trouble
for you yesterday afternoon; but you served me out for it, and I
haven't said a word against you since then."

"I don't know whether you have or not."

"What I tell you is true, Amos," and the listener was thoroughly
surprised by the change in the bearing of Master Piemont's apprentice.

"What do you want of me?" he asked, sharply.

"I don't know," Hardy replied, in a tone of despair. "It seems as if
everybody was my enemy. I went down to Jim Gray's house this
afternoon, and he wouldn't so much as look at me."

"Do you think he has good reason to be friendly with you?"

"You say that because his brother was killed at the Custom House.
Amos, I didn't think anything like murder could happen when I told the
crowd the soldier on the steps was the one who had knocked me down. If
you had been treated as I was, and saw the man standing there when you
believed the soldiers were going to rise against us, you might have
done the same thing."

"Well, and if