"I was looking over them when you came in, and I was troubled.

The men were to have been executed to-morrow." "Were to have been ?" said Ned.

Then a look passed between him and the officer.

The boy held the death warrants one by one in the flame of the lamp and burned them to ashes.
"I cannot execute a man without a warrant duly signed," said the officer.
"Which being the case, we'd better go or we might have to help at our own executions," said Obed White.

"Now you just sit where you are and have a peaceful and happy mind, while we go out and fight with the storm." The officer said nothing and the two passed swiftly through the far door, stepping into a paved court, and reaching a few yards further a gate of the castle.