They gave me no opportunity to speak. 'Hang him from that
tree!' ordered an officer.
They put ropes round me and pulled me towards the tree.
Two men were already hanging from it. Just then, a man came
riding round the corner. It was Jererny Stickles. He saw me
and immediately realized what was happening. He rode over
to the officer.
'Stop!' he cried. 'I know this man!' The two men talked
together and I heard the words 'Judge Jeffreys' and 'London'.
The officer did not look very happy, but eventually he said,
'I'll leave him with you, then, Captain Stickles. The prisoner will
be your responsibility.'
'John Ridd, you're my prisoner. Follow me,' Jeremy said
loudly.
53
The first man put down his gun and ran at me.
The soldiers freed me, I climbed on my horse and I rode away
behind Jeremy.
'Thank you, Jeremy Stickles,' I said. 'You saved my life.'
'You saved me from the Doones, John,' he said. 'Now we're
equal again. But don't try to run away — the soldiers know your
name. If you run away, your farm will be seized, and your mother
and sisters will die of hunger. I'll take you to court in London.
Here, they don't give you a chance to speak — they just hang you.
But in London, the judge will listen.'
So we started on the journey to London. As we rode, I often
thought of Lorna, and wondered if she still loved me.