He lay quite still when they were undone; he did not
know which limb to move first, and he dreaded to move any.
"Now then," said the voice, with a touch of compassion, he thought.
He set his teeth, gripped the arm and raised himself--first to his
knees, then to his feet, where he stood swaying. An indescribable roar
ascended steadily on all sides; but he could see little of the crowd as
yet. He was standing in a cleared space, held by guards. A couple of
dozen persons stood here; three or four on horseback; and one of these
he thought to be my lord Shrewsbury, but he was not sure, since his head
was against the glare of the sun. He turned a little, still holding to
the man's arm, and not knowing what to do, and saw a ladder behind him;
he raised his eyes and saw that its head rested against the cross-beam
of a single gallows, that a rope hung from this beam, and that a figure
sitting astride of this cross-beam was busy with this rope. The shock of
the sight cooled and nerved him; rather, it drew his attention all from
himself.... He looked lower again, and behind the gallows was a column
of heavy smoke going up, and in the midst of the smoke a cauldron hung
on a tripod. Beside the cauldron was a great stump of wood, with a
chopper and a knife lying upon it.... He drew one long steady breath,
expelled it again, and turned back to my lord Shrewsbury. As he turned,
he saw him make a sign, and felt himself grasped from behind.
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