"For God's sake," he exclaimed, "remember it is the image of your Creator which you are about to deface in the person of this unfortunate man! Wretched as he is, and wicked as he may be, he has a share in every promise of Scripture, and you cannot destroy him in impenitence without blotting his name from the Book of Life--Do not destroy soul and body; give time for preparation." "What time had they," returned a stern voice, "whom he murdered on this very spot ?--The laws both of God and man call for his death." "But what, my friends," insisted Butler, with a generous disregard to his own safety--"what hath constituted you his judges ?" "We are not his judges," replied the same person; "he has been already judged and condemned by lawful authority.

We are those whom Heaven, and our righteous anger, have stirred up to execute judgment, when a corrupt Government would have protected a murderer." "I am none," said the unfortunate Porteous; "that which you charge upon me fell out in self-defence, in the lawful exercise of my duty." "Away with him--away with him!" was the general cry.
"Why do you trifle away time in making a gallows ?--that dyester's pole is good enough for the homicide." The unhappy man was forced to his fate with remorseless rapidity.

Butler, separated from him by the press, escaped the last horrors of his struggles.

Unnoticed by those who had hitherto detained him as a prisoner,--he fled from the fatal spot, without much caring in what direction his course lay.

A loud shout proclaimed the stern delight with which the agents of this deed regarded its completion.