think—

ANDROS

Fool! Now, Treat, hand me the charter.

TREAT

The charter—why, sir—you had it.

ANDROS

Had it? What are you talking about?

TREAT

Why, sir! I saw you put your hand on it the moment the lights went out.

ANDROS

Indeed I did not. Give it here!

TREAT

But, sir—

ANDROS

Hey—you—Captain—

WADSWORTH

Sir!

ANDROS

Wadsworth, give me the charter!

WADSWORTH

But, sir, I gave it to you.

ANDROS

You did not!

WADSWORTH

But I have here your receipt for it!

ANDROS

Give me back that receipt!

WADSWORTH

I shall certainly do nothing of the kind, sir. I gave you the charter; you gave me this receipt for it. I have here twenty witnesses to the transaction!

ANDROS

I'm being tricked! I say I will have that charter. It's somewhere here, and I'll have it. [calling] Colonel Bligh!

BLIGH [distance]

Yes, sir!

ANDROS

Surround this place with your soldiers. Don't let a single man leave until he has been searched!

TREAT

Sir, this is illegal! You have no search warrants!

ANDROS

Indeed! I'll do it whether it's legal or not. I'll have that charter, I tell you, if I have to search every spot in this town! I'll have it, I say I'll have it.

ANNOUNCER

And so the great search began. All that night and into the next day the Governor, the Colonel, and their soldiers searched high and low for the missing charter. At last they came to the house of Charles Willys, in front of which stood the great oak in which the charter lay safely hidden.

ANDROS

Who lives here?

TREAT

This is the home of Charles Willys!

ANDROS

Indeed! One of the Charter Committee, eh?

TREAT

Yes, sir!

ANDROS

Good! Search this place inside and out, Colonel. Don't leave a thing unturned.

BLIGH

Very good, sir! Search this place, Captain—thoroughly. Tear up the floors, dig up the garden, rip the upholstery off the furniture, but find that charter!

VOICE

Yes, sir. Follow me!

ANDROS

Bring out the master of the house. The rest of you back up against this tree and don't move!

TREAT

Sir, I protest again—

ANDROS

Protest all you like. It will do you no good until you produce that charter.

TREAT

I don't know where it is. You had it, that's all I know. If you lost it, it is not our fault.

ANDROS

Silence!

BLIGH [a little distance]

Here's the master of the house, sir.

ANDROS

Ah, indeed! Are you Master Willys?

WILLYS

I am.

ANDROS

Where is the charter?

WILLYS

Your pardon, sir, but how should I know?

ANDROS

You were a member of the Charter Committee, were you not?

WILLYS

I was!

ANDROS

Then where is it?

WILLYS

I am informed that the charter—

ANDROS

Yes?

WILLYS

Was placed—

ANDROS

Yes—yes—

WILLYS

In your hands!

ANDROS

Sir! If you don't tell me where that charter is—

WILLYS

What then, sir?

ANDROS

Do you see this oak tree?

WILLYS

I'm not blind, sir.

ANDROS

I'll have you strung up—strung up in it, sir; I'll have you strung up in it!

WILLYS

I should hate to have such a fine tree perverted to such a purpose, sir!

ANDROS

Ah! You would! Colonel Bligh! Colonel!

BLIGH [distance]

Yes, Governor!

ANDROS

Send me half a dozen soldiers and a stout rope!

BLIGH

Yes, sir!

ANDROS

Ah! Now perhaps we'll get something from you. Will you tell me or will you be hanged by your thumbs from that stout limb up there until you are ready to tell me where the charter is?

TREAT

Governor Andros, I fear you have forgotten yourself in your rage. Master Willys is entitled to a trial before any such punishment can be meted out to him.

ANDROS

Silence, or I'll have you strung up with him! Gad, sir, I'll fill this oak tree with stiff-necked rebellious Connecticut men, but I'll have that charter!

BLIGH

Here are your men, sir!

ANDROS

Good! One of you climb that oak tree. Here, you, Sergeant.

VOICE

Yes, sir!

ANDROS

Give him a hand there. [sound of starting to climb the tree] Have the men found anything in the house, Colonel?

BLIGH

Not a thing, sir!

WADSWORTH

Look here, sir.

ANDROS

Ah, Captain Wadsworth. Have you something to say?

WADSWORTH

I have, sir.

ANDROS

Speak out.

WADSWORTH

Tell those men to stay out of that tree and I'll tell you.

ANDROS

All right, Sergeant, come down. I thought we'd get something out of them if we scared them. Well, Captain?

WADSWORTH

Sir, you have lost the charter; that is clear.

ANDROS

Where is it?

WADSWORTH

Just a minute. You have lost it. You also have given us your receipt for it; therefore you should have it.

ANDROS

And I intend to have it.

WADSWORTH

You can't. I can assure you of that, but here is what I propose. The committee is willing to turn over the receipt to you if you will stop this foolish and destructive search for something you can't find.

ANDROS

Never! Sergeant, go up that tree again. We'll string these fellows up.

WADSWORTH

Ah, very well, then. But, sir, you'll look very foolish when you report to the Privy Council that you did not get the charter, and we produce your signed receipt!

ANDROS

What?—Hm—

TREAT

Yes, indeed, Governor. How will you explain that to the King?

ANDROS

What? Why! Ah—very well then, give me the receipt and I'll leave. After all, your charter will do you no good. It's revoked.

TREAT

Exactly! That's a very sensible view to take, Governor Andros. I congratulate you.

WADSWORTH

Here is the receipt, sir.

ANDROS

Humph!

WADSWORTH

You're very welcome, sir.

ANDROS

Colonel Bligh, draw up your guard and prepare to return to Boston.