Page:Life and unparalleled adventures of Ambrose Gwinnett.pdf/6

 6 ADVENTURES OF I will not trouble you with an account of the kindness with which my sister and her husband re- ceired me. We breakfasted together; and I believe it might be about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, when, standing at the door, my brother-in-law being at my side, we saw three horsemen galloping towards us. As soon as they came up, they stopped, and, one of them alighting, suddenly seized my collar, crying, “You are the Queen's prisoner.” I desired to know my crime; he said I should know that as soon as I came to Deal, where I must go immedi- ately with them. One of them told my brother that the night before I had committed a robbery and a murder. Judge, O reader, of my painful situation. You are aware of my innocence; but how was I to prove this satisfactorily to the minds of those who had ar- rested me, and to those who were to be my judges? Circumstances were completely against me... Would they believe my-story of having received the knife from my bedfellow? If I swear I am totally igno- rant what has become of him, will they believe me? These, and a thousand other things, rushed into my mind at the moment of my apprehension. But what was to be done in this emergency? they would be satisfied with nothing but my person ; and to offer security for my appearance at trial, even if I could have procured friends to become surety for my so doing the sum, if sum they would have taken, as I was charged with murder, would have been so great, that even here I would have failed. There was no course left, therefore, but to commit myself into the hands of an all-seeing Providence, trusting he would so order the course of his events as would clearly shew my innocence. Resistance, therefore, would have proved as vain as my tears and protestations of my innocence. In a word, a warrant was produced, and I was carried back to Deal by the three men; my brother, with another