into some deep pool or
stony chasm.

They were, thus, an hour in getting safely through the mountain-pass.

At the end of that time, they came out upon a good road, through a forest
of firs, covering a hilly country.

Then the mist began to roll away before the bright beams of the advancing
sun.

And another hour of fast driving brought them into the town of Banff.

The duke directed the driver to turn into the street where was situated
the town-hall, where the court was being held.

The very looks of the street must have informed any stranger that some
event of unusual interest was then transpiring. The sidewalks were filled
with pedestrians, whose steps were all bent in one direction--toward the
town hall.

As our travellers drew up before the front of the building, the duke
alighted and beckoned to a bailiff to come and clear the way for his
passage into the court-room.

The officer hurried to the duke, and using his official authority, soon
made a narrow path through the dense crowd that choked up every avenue
into the edifice.

So, elbowing, pushing and wedging his way, the bailiff led the duke into
the court-room, which was even more closely packed than the ante-rooms.
Pressing through this solid mass of human beings, the bailiff led him to
a seat directly in front of the bench of judges, and there left him.

The duke bowed to the Bench, sat down and looked around upon the strange
and painful scene.

The famous Scotch judge, Baron Stairs, presided. On his right and left
sat Mr. Justice Kinloch and Mr. Justice Guthrie.

Quite a large number of lawyers, law officers, and writers to the seal
were present.

Mr. James Stuart, Q.C., was the prosecutor on the part of the crown. He
was assisted by Messrs. Roy and McIntosh.

Mr. Keir and Mr. Gordon, two rising young barristers from Aberdeen, were
counsel for the prisoner.

John Potts, alias Peters, the accused man, stood alone in the prisoner's
dock.

He was a tall, gaunt, dark man, whose pallid face looked ghastly in
contrast with his damp, lank, black hair, that seemed pasted to his
cheeks by the thick perspiration, and with his black coat and pantaloons
that hung loosely on his emaciated form.

The young duke thought he had never seen a man so much broken down in so
short a time.

While the duke was looking at him, the poor wretch turned caught his eye
and bowed. And then he quickly grasped the front railing of the dock with
both his hands, as i