He had been in Boston during the execution of poor Bridget Bishop; and though he had often seen the gallows from below, and wondered at the grim taste which had reared it in such a conspicuous spot, he had never felt the least desire, but rather a natural aversion, to approach the place where such an unrighteous deed had been enacted.
But now the carpenters had been again at work and supplanted the old scaffolding by another and larger one.

Now the uprights had been added too--and on the beam which they supported there was room for at least ten persons.

This seemed to be enough space to Marshall Herrick and Squire Hathorne; though at the rate the arrests and convictions were going on, it might be that one-half of the people in the two Salems and in Ipswich, would be hung in the course of a year or so by the other half.
But for this special hanging, only eight ropes and nooses were prepared.
The workmen had been employed the preceding afternoon; and now in the fresh morning light, everything was ready; and eight of those who had been condemned were to be executed.
The town, and village, and country around turned out, as was natural, in a mass, to see the terrible sight.

And yet the crowd was comparatively a small one, the colony then being so thinly settled.

But this, to Master Raymond's eyes, gave a new horror to the scene.