e, and other persons of like character,
appeared chiefly active in Penn's case. That they had no right whatever
to constitute themselves a court-martial, and bring him to trial, they
knew perfectly well. They had not waited even for a shadow of authority
from their commanding officer. What they were about to do was nothing
more nor less than murder.

Penn, with his hands tied behind him, and surrounded by a violent
rabble, some armed, and others unarmed, was already mounted upon the
table, when Carl arrived, and attempted to force his way through the
crowd.

"Feller-citizens and soldiers!" cried Lieutenant Ropes, standing on a
chair beside the scaffold, "this here man has jest been proved to be a
traitor and a spy, and he is about to expatiate his guilt on the
gallus."

Two men then mounted the table, passed the noose over Penn's neck, drew
it close, and leaped down again.

"Now," said Ropes, "if you've got any confession to make 'fore the table
is jerked out from under ye, you can ease your mind. Only le' me
suggest, if you don't mean to confess, you'd better hold yer tongue."

Penn, pale, but perfectly self-possessed, expecting no mercy, no
reprieve, made answer in a clear, strong voice,--

"I can't confess, for I am not guilty. I die an innocent man. I appeal
to Heaven, before whose bar we must all appear, for the justice you deny
me."

In his shirt sleeves, his head uncovered, his feet bare, his naked
throat enclosed by the murderous cord, his hands bound behind him, he
stood awaiting his fate. Carl in the mean time struggled in vain to
break through the ring of soldiers that surrounded the extemporized
scaffold,--screamed in vain to obtain a hearing.

"Let him go, and you may hang me in his place!"

The soldiers answered with a brutal laugh,--as if there would be any
satisfaction in hanging him! But the offer of self-sacrifice on the part
of the devoted Carl touched one heart, at least. Penn, who had
maintained a firm demeanor up to this time, was almost unmanned by it.

"God bless you, dear Carl! Remember that I loved you. Be always honest
and upright; then, if you die the victim of wrong, it will be your
oppressors, not you, who will be most unhappy. Good by, dear Carl. Bear
my farewell to those we love. Don't stay and see me die, I entreat you!"

Yet Carl staid, sobbing with grief and rage.

"Why don't you hurry up this business?" cried Lysander Sprowl, angrily,
coming out of the school-house. "So