"Then in that case it is a pity, but we must expect to lose some good Americans in war times." "But he is not a spy." "Not now; no, he is in the stocks, but according to the laws of war he was a spy." "The court must decide that." "Yes; but it will be after his death." "After his death?" "Certainly. He will die at sunrise." "Explain yourself. Who has adjudged him worthy of death?" asked Vernon earnestly. "We are at war?" "Certainly. This is admitted, or I should not have been thanked by the President for the captures I have made on the high seas." Ignoring the latter part of Vernon's speech, the officer continued: "Then being at war, an assault on an officer while on duty is an assault on the nation, and that is treason, and the punishment of treason is death." "But the courts----" "May say Bob was innocent, and his family will have that gratification, but he will be dead." "Why so?" "We are at war--you are impatient--well, you admit that. Now, the officer who was assaulted was a sentry; an attack on a sentry during war time is an offense punishable by death, and the colonel commanding orders it within twenty-four hours." "Who is the officer in command?" "I am." "But you have not ordered Bob's execution?" "No, fortunately my superior happened to be here at the time. He gave the order, I shall carry it out." "Where can he be found?" "That I know not, for he left no word where he was going; but he is not expected home until the morning." "What is the use of our staying here?" asked Tempest, _sotto voce_. The officer heard the question, however, and took it upon himself to answer. "Nothing, unless you like to sit by the fire and await the execution." "Zounds, man, what do you take us for?" asked Vernon, indignantly. "Most worthy gentlemen, who have had a most wholesome lesson in military law." CHAPTER XXX. BOB'S GOOD ANGEL. Our friends walked away, thoroughly mad with the officer, who had, however, only done his duty. That Bob was condemned to death on such short notice and poor evidence may appear strange to our readers, but they must remember that the country was at war. England had invaded the States, and had boldly declared that Washington should be reduced to ashes. The republic was only a few years old, and there were many of the old tories who believed that England would subjugate the new nation, and reduce it to a principality or dependency of Britain. These tories, while professedly loyal to the government, were more the friends of England. They loved the glare and glitter of a court, and yearned for a native aristocracy. A king could confer titles, and these superficial creatures felt that a title was something worth having. The government knew all this--knew that there was a vast amount of veiled treason in Washington and all the cities; and therefore in all the forts, arsenals and navy yards military law prevailed.