The prisoner and his counsel, on this new and unexpected development, held
an earnest whispered consultation. The latter had supposed, till almost the
last moment, that his opponent was intending only to bring in another piece
of what he deemed wholly irrelevant testimony, in the shape of another
gone-by transaction; and he was preparing another storm of wrath for the
judicial outrage. But, when he found that the statement was a preliminary
to a different and more alarming movement, and especially when he saw
placed in the sheriff's hands a warrant for delivering up his client to the
British, to be tried for a former felony, from the punishment of which, he
feared, from what he had just heard, there would be no escape, he was sadly
nonplussed, and knew not which way to turn himself. And it was not until
Gaut, who, though thus suddenly brought into a dilemma which he was little
expecting, was yet at no loss to decide on his course,--that of making
every possible effort to escape the more immediate pending danger, and then
of trusting to chance for eluding the more remote one just brought to
view,--it was not till Gaut, with assurances of the last being but a
miserable, trumped-up affair, had pushed and goaded him up to action, that
the dumbfounded attorney recovered his old confidence. He then straightened
back in his seat, and, with the air of one who has meekly borne some
imposition, or breach of privilege, till it can be borne no longer, turned
gruffly to his opponent, and said: