Finding now that he was master of the situation, Peek let his right arm fall gradually to his side, and, still holding Charlton in his grasp, said: “Gentlemen, there are just five chairs before you. Be seated, and hear what I have to say.” The company looked hesitatingly at one another, till Blake, one of the policemen, said, “Why not?” and took a seat. The rest followed his example. And then Peek, crowding back the rage and anguish of his heart, spoke as follows: “My name is Peculiar Institution. I came to this lawyer some seven weeks ago for advice. I paid him money. He got me to tell him my story. He pretended to be my friend; but thinking he could make a few dollars more out of the slaveholder than he could out of me, he sends on word to the man who calls himself my master;—in short, betrays me. You see I have him in my power. What would you do with him if you were in my place?” “I’d cut off his dirty ears!” exclaimed Blake, carried beyond all the discretion of a policeman by his indignation. “What do you say, Colonel Hyde?” asked Peek. “Wall, Peek, I don’t car’ what yer do ter him, providin’ yer’ don’t damage yerself; but I reckon yer’d better drop that knife dam quick, and give in. It’s no use tryin’ to git off. We’ve three witnesses here to swar you’re the right man. The Yankees put through the Fugitive Law right smart now. Yer stand no chance.” “That’s all true, Colonel,” replied Peek, speaking as if arguing aloud to himself. “The law was executed in Boston last week, where there wasn’t half the proof you have. To do it they had to call out the whole police force, but they _did_ it; and if such things are done in Boston, we can’t expect much better in New York. But you see, Colonel, with this knife in my hand, I can now do one of two things: I can either kill this man, or kill myself. In either case you lose. The law hangs me if I kill him, and if I kill myself the sexton puts all of me he can lay hold of under the ground. Now, Colonel, if you refuse my terms, I’m fully resolved to do one of these two things,—probably the first, for I have scruples about the second.” “The cussed nigger talks as ef he was readin’ from a book!” exclaimed Hyde, in astonishment. “Wall, Peek, what tairms do yer mean?” “You must promise that, on my letting this man go, you’ll allow me to walk freely out of this room, and go where I please unattended, on condition that I’ll return at five o’clock this afternoon and deliver myself up to you to go South with you of my own accord, without any trial or bother of any kind.” The Colonel gave a furtive wink at the policeman Iverson, and replied: “Wall, Peek, that’s no more nor fair, seein’ as you’re sich a smart respectible nigger. But I reckon yer’ll go and stir up the cussed abolitioners.” “I’ll promise,” returned Peek, “not to tell any one what’s going on.” Hyde whispered in Iverson’s ear, and the latter nodded assent.