“‘Rah f’ ’mpa’tial ban’!” cried the tipsy sailor, who was immediately ejected with slight ceremony.

“We have discovered, beyond a doubt, that the negro Sandy Campbell, now in custody, did not commit this robbery and murder, but that it was perpetrated by some unknown man, who has fled from the city.  Our venerable and distinguished fellow townsman, Mr. Delamere, in whose employment this Campbell has been for many years, will vouch for his character, and states, furthermore, that Campbell was with him all last night, covering any hour at which this crime could have been committed.”

“If Mr. Delamere will swear to that,” said some one in the crowd, “the negro should not be lynched.”

There were murmurs of dissent.  The preparations had all been made.  There would be great disappointment if the lynching did not occur.

“Let Mr. Delamere swear, if he wants to save the nigger,” came again from the crowd.

“Certainly,” assented Carteret.  “Mr. Delamere can have no possible objection to taking the oath.  Is there a notary public present, or a justice of the peace?”

A man stepped forward.  “I am a justice of the peace,” he announced.

“Very well, Mr. Smith,” said Carteret, recognizing the speaker.  “With your permission, I will formulate the oath, and Mr. Delamere may repeat it after me, if he will.  I solemnly swear,”—­

“I solemnly swear,”—­

Mr. Delamere’s voice might have come from the tomb, so hollow and unnatural did it sound.

“So help me God,”—­

“So help me God,”—­

“That the negro Sandy Campbell, now in jail on the charge of murder, robbery, and assault, was in my presence last night between the hours of eight and two o’clock.”

Mr. Delamere repeated this statement in a firm voice; but to Ellis, who was in the secret, his words fell upon the ear like clods dropping upon the coffin in an open grave.

“I wish to add,” said General Belmont, stepping forward, “that it is not our intention to interfere, by anything which may be done at this meeting, with the orderly process of the law, or to advise the prisoner’s immediate release.  The prisoner will remain in custody, Mr. Delamere, Major Carteret, and I guaranteeing that he will be proved entirely innocent at the preliminary hearing to-morrow morning.”

Several of those present looked relieved; others were plainly, disappointed; but when the meeting ended, the news went out that the lynching had been given up.  Carteret immediately wrote and had struck off a handbill giving a brief statement of the proceedings, and sent out a dozen boys to distribute copies among the people in the streets.  That no precaution might be omitted, a call was issued to the Wellington Grays, the crack independent military company of the city, who in an incredibly short time were on guard at the jail.  Thus a slight change in the point of view had demonstrated the entire ability of the leading citizens to maintain the dignified and orderly processes of the law whenever they saw fit to do so.