Ten o'clock
He had shown himself a craven in every possible way , so it was said . This silent crowd , however , had no certain knowledge of the truth of these rumours ; they might be , probably were , false reports to belittle him in the minds of the populace . What this waiting multitude remembered was that James , Duke of Monmouth , was a soldier of distinction and was doomed to die a martyr for the Protestant faith . Ten o'clock had sounded some time since , when there was a sudden movement in the crowd , a backward pressure by the ranks of guards , and a man , saluting as he passed , walked up that narrow , human lane to the little square and mounted the scaffold with a firm tread . A great hush fell , broken only by the sounds of sobbing . This man a coward ! Every look , every action , gave the lie to such an accusation .