Mr. Wallace, said the Captain, I admit the force of your reasoning as to the cause that produced this difficulty, yet I see no escape. The law is imperative, and these men must stand trial, and if convicted, they must be executed. Show me an honorable way, and I will save them. There is a way, Captain, a legal way to save the lives of these men. How? exclaimed the Captain excitedly. I did not know that you were versed in marine law. Because you have no power to try and execute these men. What! No power to punish for mutiny at sea? I do not deny that power, but there has been no mutiny at sea. It was a riot on land. Have you jurisdiction over crimes committed on land? Really, my boy, that is an idea I had not thought of. I had, replied Walter. And even if the difficulty had taken place on board of the ship, I don’t think that you could legally try and execute these men. _Vattel_ says that it is only in extreme cases that this summary proceeding can be resorted to. Where you have proof of a deep laid conspiracy to murder the officers and take the ship, you may resort to this summary trial. Unless this danger exists, you must turn the men over to be tried by the laws of the land. I will consult my officers, replied the Captain. With your consent, I would like to visit these men, said Walter. You have my consent, replied the Captain. The Captain and his First Lieutenant had a long conversation in relation to the court he had ordered convened, and came to the conclusion to defer it for the present. Walter and Lieutenant Powers went to see the prisoners, and found them at the bottom of the ship, where there was no light or air fit to breathe. A horrid stench pervaded, and the odor of bilge water made the place almost unbearable. They had groped their way through total darkness, aided only by a tallow candle. These are the men we are in search of, said Powers to Walter. Yes, here we are, replied Frost. But gentlemen, if you value your lives, leave this place at once. Don’t inhale this poison vapor. Powers was holding the candle, which gave but an imperfect light and made the men before him look ghastly. Wallace was dumb with horror, when suddenly a figure in white appeared. What have we got here? exclaimed Powers. An angel, said Tom Jones, feeding two of the King’s subjects with the crumbs that fell from the master’s table. Silence, man! Raising the light toward the figure before him. Speak! Be you man, devil or angel! Speak! The figure advanced. I am neither man or angel, but the charge of devil may apply. What? what are you doing here? said Powers. Feeding these unfortunate men, and preparing them for the ordeal they have got to go through. Cora, are you not aware that this is beneath the dignity of your station, and a violation of the laws of the ship?