The imagination of the reader will readily depict the state of mind in
which the families of the arrested gentlemen were left after the
midnight visit of Perez' band. That there was no more sleep in those
households that night will be easily understood. In the Edwards family
the long hours till morning passed in praying and weeping by Mrs.
Edwards and Desire, and the younger children. They scarcely dared to
doubt that the husband and father was destined to violence or death at
the hands of these bloody and cruel men. At dawn Jonathan, who, on
trying to follow his father when first arrested, had been driven back
with blows, went out again, and the tidings which he brought back,
that the prisoners were confined in the Fennell house and as yet had
undergone no abuse, somewhat restored their agitated spirits. An hour
or two later the boy came tearing into the house, with white face,
clenched fists and blazing eyes.
"What is it?" cried his mother and sister, half scared to death at his
looks.
"They're going,"--Jonathan choked.
"They're going to have father whipped," he finally made out to
articulate.
"Whipped!" echoed Desire, faintly and uncomprehendingly.
"Yes!" cried the boy hoarsely, "like any vagabond, stripped and
whipped at the whipping-post.
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