But here is an act of a different character, Mr.Menocal.The man's endeavour to fire our camp, had it been successful, would perhaps have resulted in the death of scores of men, as the storm broke shortly after and they would have been without shelter." Charlie Menocal sprang to his feet.
"Before God, I didn't know he would choose that night!" he cried, passionately.

"I meant only to stop their work!" His father shook his head sadly.
"That makes no difference, my son; you planned a wicked deed," he said, in a barely audible voice.
Morgan pushed the young man back upon his chair and Bryant went on.

As he proceeded, he had found it harder and harder to address the parent; and his task was no easier now.

The eyes of the father had gone to the slender, sagging figure of his son and seemed to be the eyes of an expiring man; his plump cheeks were working under an excess of emotion; then his head went down suddenly as under the blow of a club.
"Because of the character of the act," Lee said, "it wasn't only a stroke at me but at every animal and man in the entire south camp.

I want to make this clear in order to show how black and dastardly the thing was.