Gentlemen," he pursued, addressing
the court, "it is for you to determine whether my defence
is to be continued or not; yet, whatever be my fate, I
would fain remove all injurious impression from the minds
of my judges; and this can only be done by a simple detail
of circumstances, which may, by the unprejudiced, be as
simply believed."
Here the prisoner paused: when, after some low and earnest
conversation among the members of the court, two or three
slips of written paper were passed to the President. He
glanced his eye hurriedly over them, and then directed
Halloway to proceed with his defence.
"I have stated," pursued the interesting soldier, "that
the officer who led the band of Indians was a man of
gigantic stature, and of apparently great strength. My
attention was particularly directed to him from this
circumstance, and as I was on the extreme flank of the
grenadiers, and close to Captain de Haldimar, had every
opportunity of observing his movements principally pointed
at that officer. He first discharged a carbine, the ball
of which killed a man of the company at his (Captain de
Haldimar's) side; and then, with evident rage at having
been defeated in his aim, he took a pistol from his belt,
and advancing with rapid strides to within a few paces
of his intended victim, presented it in the most deliberate
manner.
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