erheard the whole plot."

"Where?"

"That doesn't matter. I'm not under arrest?"

At this the officer glared at me, his honour drummed his fingers on the
table, and the other magistrate looked sharply up.

"We can remedy that in a moment," said he; "and will do so unless you
treat this court with more respect. We require you to say if you know
the meeting-place of this gang."

"Sure, your honour, I'm after telling you--" began Flanagan, when he was
peremptorily ordered to be silent.

"Answer the question!" thundered the officer, "or--"

Mr Gorman looked up. He had his own good reasons for preventing any
revelations as to the secret uses to which Kilgorman had been put in
past times.

"Pardon me, captain, would it not be much better to take information
like this in a more private manner, if we are to run these villains to
earth? At present, what we have to decide is as to the two prisoners;
and there seems no question as to their guilt. I identify them both as
the men who attacked my car, and whom Gallagher here helped to capture."

The officer growled something about interfering civilians, but the other
magistrate adopted his honour's view.

"Perhaps you are right, Gorman; but we must find out their hiding-places
for all that later on.--Have you any questions to ask, Captain Lavan?"

"Only how long is this formality going on? It's as clear a case as you
could have, and yet here have we been sitting an hour in this draughty
yard trying to obscure it," said the soldier gruffly. "I'm sent here to
administer martial law, not to kick my heels about in a police-court."

The two magistrates took this rebuke meekly, and the president proceeded
to pronounce his sentence.

"Cassidy," said he to the prisoner who had not spoken, and who had
evidently refused to answer any question, "you have been caught red-
handed in a cowardly attempt to murder an officer of his Majesty, and
have admitted your guilt. You have also been proved to be a sworn rebel
against the king, and engaged in a conspiracy to overturn his government
in Ireland. According to the law, your life is forfeited, and I have no
alternative but to hand you over to the military authorities for
immediate execution."

"Guards!" cried the captain, rising, "advance! Take the prisoner
outside and shoot him. Quick march!"

Cassidy, who heard his sentence without concern or emotion, shouted,--

"Down with the king! Down with informers!" and fell in