them by the bonds of their desperate and illegal oaths.  Every eye, in fact, coruscated with a wild and savage fire, that shot from under brows knit in a spirit that deemed to cry out Blood, vengeance—­blood, vengeance!  The expression was truly awful; all what rendered it more terrific was the writhing reflection, that numbers and physical force were unavailing against a comparatively small body of armed troops.  This condensed the fiery impulse of the moment into an expression of subdued rage, that really shot like livid gleams from their visages.

At length the carts stopped under the gallows; and, after a short interval spent in devotional exercise, three of the culprits ascended the platform, who, after recommending themselves to God, and avowing their innocence, although the clearest possible evidence of guilt had been brought against them, were launched into another life, among the shrieks and groans of the multitude.  The other three then ascended; two of them either declined, or had not strength to address the assembly.  The third advanced to the edge of the boards—­it was Mat.  After two or three efforts to speak, in which he was unsuccessful from bodily weakness, he at length addressed them as follows:—­

“My friends and good people—­In hopes that you may be all able to demonstrate the last proposition laid down by a dying man, I undertake to address you before I depart to that world where Euclid, De Cartes, and many other larned men are gone before me.  There is nothing in all philosophy more true than that, as the multiplication-table says, ’two and two makes four;’ but it is equally veracious and worthy of credit, that if you do not abnegate this system that you work the common rules of your proceedings by—­if you don’t become loyal men, and give up burnin’ and murdherin’, the solution of it will be found on the gallows.  I acknowledge myself to be guilty, for not separatin’ myself clane from yez; we have been all guilty, and may God forgive thim that jist now departed wid a lie in their mouth.”

Here he was interrupted by a volley of execrations and curses, mingled with “stag, informer, thraithor to the thrue cause!” which, for some time, compelled him to be silent.

“You may curse,” continued Mat; “but it’s too late now to abscond the truth—­the sum of my wickedness and folly is worked out, and you see the answer.  God forgive me, many a young crathur I enticed into the Ribbon business, and now it’s to ind in Hemp.  Obey the law; or, if you don’t you will find a lex talionis the construction of which is, that if a man burns or murdhers he won’t miss hanging; take warning by me—­by us all; for, although I take God to witness that I was not at the perpetration of the crime that I’m to be suspinded for, yet I often connived, when I might have superseded the carrying of such intuitions into effectuality.  I die in pace wid all the world, save an’ except the Findramore people, whom,