IT seemed that the Governor of the town, Eustathius, had been bribed into arresting three perfectly innocent members of their family, who even now were in jail awaiting execution. As soon as he had satisfied himself that the charges really were false, Nicholas fetched Nepotian and his fellow officers from the harbour, where they were loading their ships, and hurried them over to the jail. They burst in just in time to snatch the executioner’s sword from his hand.*

These exciting events brought a crowd, and Governor Eustathius, a cavalry officer, mounted his charger and rode imperiously over to investigate the cheering. Nicholas was quite undaunted, however. He directly accused Eustathius of corruption, and when the Governor began to defend himself, naming unimpeachable witnesses, Nicholas broke in to say that he intended to send a full account to the Emperor. At that, Eustathius fell at his feet, and confessed everything; and from that moment, he and the bishop became fast friends.