Without inflicting some mortal injury on the soldiers, he could not have prevented them from pursuing him when he had fled, and probably firing on him as he did so.  All this, therefore, had been provided for by the arrangements previously agreed upon by Lord Rae and his retainer.  By these it was settled, that he should, on the former’s making his escape, peaceably yield himself up to “underlie the law,” in a reliance on the friendly disposition of Cromwell towards the fugitive, which, it was not doubted, would be exerted in behalf of his servant.  Such proceeding, it was thought too, would bring Lord Rae’s case sooner to issue; and be, with regard to the law, as it were, throwing a bone in the dog’s way to arrest his attention, and interrupt his pursuit of the original and more important object of his vengeance.

On delivering himself up, M’Kay was immediately placed in confinement, and shortly after brought to trial, for aiding and abetting in the escape of a State prisoner.  The trial was a very brief one; for the facts were easily established, and sentence was about to be passed on the prisoner, when a stir suddenly arose at the court door.  The presiding judge paused; the stir increased.  In the next instant it was hushed; and in that instant Cromwell entered the court.  On advancing a pace or two within the apartment, he took off his hat, bowed respectfully to the judges, and proceeding onwards, finally ascended the bench and took his seat beside them.

When a man feels himself master, he need be under no great ceremony; neither need he trouble himself much about forms or rules which regulate the conduct of inferiors.  Cromwell, on this occasion, got up in a few minutes after he had taken his place, and delivered to the court a long, and, after his usual fashion, obscure and unconnected oration in favour of the prisoner at the bar.  The chief ground, however, on which he rested his defence and exculpation of M’Kay, was the fidelity to his master, which the crime with which he was charge implied, and the worse effect to the cause of morality than good to the political interests of the State, which the infliction of any punishment in such case would produce.  “If,” concluded Cromwell, “fidelity to a master is to be punished as a crime, where shall we look for honest servants?”

The reasoning of Cromwell, even had it been less cogent than it was, could not be but convincin to those who knew of and dreaded his power.  He was listened to with the most profound attention, and the justness of his arguments and force of his eloquence acknowledged by the acquittal of the prisoner.

As M’Kay rose from his seat at the bar to leave the court, Cromwell eyed him attentively for some seconds, and, struck with his prodigious size and fierce aspect, whispered to one of the judges near him, “May the Lord keep me from the devil’s and that man’s grasp.”

We have now only to add, that the protection promised by Cromwell to Lady Rae for her husband was duly made out, and delivered to her.  We need not say that it was found to be a perfectly efficient document.