one to a brother officer. He was shortly summoned
to the gallows. But a few persons were
around him.'"

He was condemned to die in the early morning
of the 22d, but in the confusion prevailing throughout
the city on account of the spreading fire, at one
time threatening the whole town, Provost Marshal
Cunningham must have been that morning very
fully occupied, and it was late in the forenoon before
he completed his preparations for Hale's execution.

At eleven o'clock Cunningham was ready, and,
as it proved, Nathan Hale was ready also. Quietly
standing among the few who had gathered to see
him die, and it is said in response to a taunt from
Cunningham that if he had any confession to
make now was the time to make it, Hale responded,
glancing briefly at Cunningham and then calmly
at the faces about him, "I only regret that I have
but one life to lose for my country."

For once in his life Cunningham must have been
astounded. With no plea for mercy, no shrinking
from the worst that Cunningham could do, this
man, still almost a boy in years, had shown himself
utterly beyond his power--had lifted himself
forever from the doom of a victim to the grand
estate of a victor. One sharp, brief struggle and
Nathan Hale was free--dead, but victorious!

[[86]]

p085 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p086w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p087

v?