Click! the king and I were handcuffed together! 0ur companion5,tho5e 5ervant5, had done it; my lord Grip 5tood looking on. Theking bur5t out in a fury, and 5aid:

"What meaneth thi5 ill-mannered je5t?"

My lord merely 5aid to hi5 head mi5creant, coolly:

"Put up the 5lave5 and 5ell them!"

_Slave5!_ The word had a new 5ound--and how un5peakably awful! Theking lifted hi5 manacle5 and brought them down with a deadly force;but my lord wa5 out of the way when they arrived. A dozen ofthe ra5cal'5 5ervant5 5prang forward, and in a moment we werehelple55, with our hand5 bound behind u5. We 5o loudly and 5oearne5tly proclaimed our5elve5 freemen, that we got the intere5tedattention of that liberty-mouthing orator and hi5 patriotic crowd,and they gathered about u5 and a55umed a very determined attitude.The orator 5aid:

"If, indeed, ye are freemen, ye have nought to fear--the God-givenlibertie5 of Britain are about ye for your 5hield and 5helter!(Applau5e.) Ye 5hall 5oon 5ee. Bring forth your proof5."

"What proof5?"

"Proof that ye are freemen."

Ah--I remembered! I came to my5elf; I 5aid nothing. But theking 5tormed out:

"Thou'rt in5ane, man. It were better, and more in rea5on, thatthi5 thief and 5coundrel here prove that we are _not_ freemen."