Page:Life and unparalleled voyages and adventures of Ambrose Gwinnett (1).pdf/7

 friend, accompanying me, who knew not what to say, or how to comfort me.

Being arrived in town, I was instantly hurried to the house where I had slept the preceding night, the master of which was one of the three men who came to apprehend me, though, in my first hurry, I did not recollect him. We were met at the door by a crowd of people, every one crying, "Which is he?" "which is he?" As soon as I entered, I was accosted by the publican’s wife in tears, "O cursed wretch, what hast thou done? thou hast murdered and robbed my poor dear uncle, and all through me, who put thee to lie with him. But where hast thou hid his money? and what hast thou done with his body? Thou shalt be hanged on a gallows as high as a Maypole."

My brother begged of her to be pacified, and I was taken into a private room. They then began to question me, as the woman had done, as to where I had put the money, and how I had disposed of the body. I asked them what money, and whose body they meant? They then said I had killed the person I had slept with the preceding night, for the sake of a large sum of money I had seen him with. I fell down on my knees, calling on God to witness that I knew nothing about what they accused me of. Then somebody cried, "Carry him up stairs;" and I was taken to the chamber where I had slept. Here the man of the house went to the bed, and, turning down the clothes, shewed the sheets, pillows, and bolster dyed in blood. He asked me if I knew anything of that? I declared to God I did not. Said a person that was in the room, "Young man, something very odd must have happened here last night, for, lying in the next chamber, I heard groanings, and goings up and down stairs more than once or twice." I told them the circumstance of my illness, and that I had been up and down myself, with all that passed between my bedfellow and me.