ly abstained from making any remarks on the conduct of his
chief. The following day he was brought into the public hall of the
fort, where the governor was seated as judge, supported by several of
the officers whom he had promoted. One of the crew of the _Madeline_,
with the two priests, appeared as his accusers, and his officers and
several of his men were ordered on shore as witnesses, Nigel being among
them. When the priests were called on to make their statements, one of
them charged the brave captain with the crime of sacrilege, which, as it
had been brought to his notice, he said that he felt bound to make it
public. A seaman, then stepping forward, stated that by his orders, a
number of holy images, crucifixes, and sacred relics captured from the
Portuguese, intended for the conversion of the heathen and the comfort
of believers, had been sacrilegiously thrown overboard on their voyage
to Nitherohy.

"Of what immense value they would have been to us in the conversion of
the heathen had they been preserved!" exclaimed one of the priests.
"They were undoubtedly offered to us by Heaven, to enable us to convert
the barbarous natives."

Nigel and the other officers were then called on for their evidence.
They had to confess that they saw the articles mentioned thrown
overboard; but Nigel observed, as they were part of the cargo of the
prize, he could not suppose that the captain in any way acted contrary
to what he was fully justified in doing.

"Beware, lest you are made a party to his crime!" exclaimed one of the
priests. "I know well the malignant and impious disposition of your
countrymen, and, had you not been imbued by their sentiments, you would
have endeavoured to prevent so sacrilegious an act from being
committed."

The governor, as judge, declared that no further evidence was necessary.
In vain the captain asserted that he had acted as he believed right.
The priests shouted out that he deserved to die, and the traitor,
Villegagnon, forthwith pronouncing him guilty, condemned him to death.

Nigel, on quitting the court, hastened to the residence of the count, to
tell him of the result of the trial.

"This must not be," he said, on hearing it. "It would be a most
atrocious murder. Every Protestant in the settlement must unite, and
insist on having his life spared. It would be useless to petition; we
must _demand_ our rights."

Nigel fully agreed with the count, and other leading Protestants co