e soldiers about the place to attention, and made the
prisoners start.

"Speak out, sir, or you shall swing on that hook on the wall in two
minutes."

"Arrah, colonel dear, sure I'm telling you. There's forty-eight sworn
men, and that's the truth."

"You are the secretary," said the magistrate. "Give me a list of their
names."

"'Deed, sir, my memory is not what it was, and the book--"

"Here 'tis, captain," said a soldier, advancing with a salute, and
holding out a small copy-book; "it was found on him."

"That will do," said the magistrate, putting it down without examining
it. "Who is your captain or leader?"

"Who's the captain?" repeated the prisoner vaguely.

"You hear what I say," replied the magistrate. "Answer the question at
once!"

"The captain? Sure, sir, it's Tim Gallagher, own brother to the man
who's standing there."

Here all eyes were turned on me, and I found it difficult to endure the
unfriendly scrutiny with composure. Had I walked into a trap after all,
and instead of thanks was I to find myself implicated in this plot and
suspected as a rebel?

"Tim Gallagher," said the magistrate, turning to his honour. "Do you
know him, Gorman?"

"I do," replied Mr Gorman shortly, and evidently uneasy. "His father
was once a boatman on my place."

"Ah, and a smuggler too, wasn't he? We used to hear of him at Malin
sometimes."

"Likely enough. He was drowned some years ago."

"And his two sons are rebels?"

"One is by all accounts," said his honour; "the other is here, and can
speak for himself."

"I am no more a rebel than you," said I hotly, without waiting to be
questioned. "I am a servant of the king. His honour here knows if I
ever joined with them."

"It is true," said his honour, as I thought rather grudgingly, "this
rough-spoken young man was the one who frustrated the attempt on me
yesterday. I know of nothing against his loyalty."

"Yet," said the presiding magistrate, who had been turning over the
leaves of the secretary's book, "I find Barry Gallagher's name down here
as having taken the oath. How's that?"

"It's false!" exclaimed I, betraying more confusion at this sudden
announcement than was good for me. "I was once forced, years ago, with
a gun at my head, to repeat the words or some of them; but I was never
properly sworn!"

"How did you hear of the attempt that was to be made on Mr Gorman?"
demanded the officer suspiciously.

"By accident, sir. I ov