Monsieur Riel had been all this while pacing up and down his room. A
tap came upon his door.
"Entrez. Ah, it is you, mon adjudant!"
"Oui, mon president."
"What tidings?"
"C'est accompli. The court-martial has found the prisoner guilty;
and he is condemned to be shot at one o'clock this day."
"Monsieur is expeditious! Monsieur is zealous. C'est bon; c'est bon;
merci, Monsieur." And the miscreant walked about delirious with his
gratification. Then he came over to where his adjutant stood, and
shook his hand; then he thrust his fingers through his hair, and half
bellowed, his voice resembling that of some foul beast.
"La patrie has reason to be proud of her zealous son," and he again
shook the hand of his infamous lieutenant. Then with a very low bow
Jean left the room, saying, as he departed.
"I shall endeavour to merit to the fullest the kindly eulogy which
Monsieur le President bestows upon me." The news of Stephens'
sentence spread like fire. Some believed that the penalty would not
be carried out, but others thought it would.
"If this prisoner is pardoned, people will treat the sentences of
the provisional authorities as jokes. Riel must be aware of this;
therefore Stephens is likely to suffer the full penalty." Several
persons called upon the tyrant and besought him to extend mercy to
the condemned man; but he merely shrugged his shoulders!
"This prisoner has been in chronic rebellion. He has set bad example
among the prisoners, assaulted his keeper, and loaded the Government
with opprobrium. I may say to you, Messieurs, however, that I have
really nothing to do with the man's case. In this time of tumult,
when the operation of all laws is suspended, the court-martial is the
only tribunal to which serious offenders can be referred. This young
man Stephens has had fair trial, as fair as a British court-martial
would have given him, and he has been sentenced to death. I assume
that he would not have received such a sentence if he had not
deserved it. Therefore I shall not interfere. There is no use,
Messieurs, in pressing me upon the matter. At heart, I shall grieve
as much as you to see the young man cut off; but his death I believe
necessary now as an example to the hundreds who are desirous of
overthrowing the authority which we have established in this
district." The petitioners left the monster with sorrowful faces.
"My God!" one of them exclaimed, "it is frightful to murder this
young man, whose only offence is resistance to insult from his
debased half-breed keeper. Is there nothing to be done?"
No, there was nothing to be done. The greasy, vindictive tyrant was
lord and master of the situation. When Riel was alone, he began once
more to walk his room, and thus mused aloud: "I shall go down to his cell. Perhaps he may tell me where she is to
be found."