Today in Salem: The Sheriff is busy again, seizing cattle from a family to pay the prison debts of the parents, who’ve been in jail for almost 6 months. For the first time, though, the Sheriff takes pity and leaves a few cattle behind for the family. These he brands on the horns with the help of the oldest son, age 22.
Meanwhile in Boston, an esteemed minister writes an introduction to Increase Mather’s lengthy essay and sends the entire manuscript to the governor, hoping to persuade him to stop or at least slow down the trials. The minister doesn’t know that the governor’s wife has been accused.