Governor Andros, I fear you have forgotten yourself in your rage. Master Willys is entitled to a trial before any such punishment can be meted out to him. ANDROS Silence, or I'll have you strung up with him! Gad, sir, I'll fill this oak tree with stiff-necked rebellious Connecticut men, but I'll have that charter! BLIGH Here are your men, sir! ANDROS Good! One of you climb that oak tree. Here, you, Sergeant. VOICE Yes, sir! ANDROS Give him a hand there. [_sound of starting to climb the tree_] Have the men found anything in the house, Colonel? BLIGH Not a thing, sir! WADSWORTH Look here, sir. ANDROS Ah, Captain Wadsworth. Have you something to say? WADSWORTH I have, sir. ANDROS Speak out. WADSWORTH Tell those men to stay out of that tree and I'll tell you. ANDROS All right, Sergeant, come down. I thought we'd get something out of them if we scared them. Well, Captain? WADSWORTH Sir, you have lost the charter; that is clear. ANDROS Where is it? WADSWORTH Just a minute. You have lost it. You also have given us your receipt for it; therefore you should have it. ANDROS And I intend to have it. WADSWORTH You can't. I can assure you of that, but here is what I propose. The committee is willing to turn over the receipt to you if you will stop this foolish and destructive search for something you can't find. ANDROS Never! Sergeant, go up that tree again. We'll string these fellows up. WADSWORTH Ah, very well, then. But, sir, you'll look very foolish when you report to the Privy Council that you did not get the charter, and we produce your signed receipt! ANDROS What?--Hm-- TREAT Yes, indeed, Governor. How will you explain that to the King? ANDROS What? Why! Ah--very well then, give me the receipt and I'll leave. After all, your charter will do you no good. It's revoked. TREAT Exactly! That's a very sensible view to take, Governor Andros. I congratulate you. WADSWORTH Here is the receipt, sir. ANDROS Humph! WADSWORTH You're very welcome, sir. ANDROS Colonel Bligh, draw up your guard and prepare to return to Boston. [_orders and confusion_] TREAT [_over the noise_] My congratulations, Captain Wadsworth. A good bargain. WADSWORTH Indeed it was. Another foot up the tree, and the Sergeant would have had the charter. BLIGH Quick step, march! ANNOUNCER By saving the charter Connecticut preserved her claim to separate government, and in 1694 the King decided that the charter was in full legal force. It served as the fundamental order of Connecticut government down to the Revolution and until 1818, when a new state constitution superseded it.