Not one moment, meanwhile, did he
doubt the guilt of Halloway, whose description of the
person of his enemy was, in itself, to him, confirmatory
evidence of his treason. It is doubtful whether he would,
in any way, have been influenced by the recommendation
of the Court, had the first charges been substantiated;
but as there was nothing but conjecture to bear out these,
and as the prisoner had been convicted only on the ground
of suffering Captain de Haldimar to quit the fort contrary
to orders, he felt he might possibly go too far in carrying
the capital punishment into effect, in decided opposition
to the general feeling of the garrison,--both of officers
and men.
When the shot was subsequently fired from the hut of the
Canadian, and the daring rifleman recognised as the same
fearful individual who had gained access to his apartment
the preceding night, conviction of the guilt of Halloway
came even deeper home to the mind of the governor. It
was through Francois alone that a communication was kept
up secretly between the garrison and several of the
Canadians without the fort; and the very fact of the
mysterious warrior having been there so recently after
his daring enterprise, bore evidence that whatever treason
was in operation, had been carried on through the
instrumentality of mine host of the Fleur de lis.
Pages:
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652