the courthouse and the people all swam before my eyes.

The first I heard was Starlight's voice again, just as cool and
leisurely as ever. I never heard any difference in it, and I've known
him speak in a lot of different situations. If you shut your eyes you
couldn't tell from the tone of his voice whether he was fighting for his
life or asking you to hand him the salt. When he said the hardest and
fiercest thing--and he could be hard and fierce--he didn't raise his
voice; he only seemed to speak more distinct like. His eyes were worse
than his voice at such times. There weren't many men that liked to look
back at him, much less say anything.

Now he said, 'That means five years of Berrima, Dick, if not seven. It's
cooler than these infernal logs, that's one comfort.'

I said nothing. I couldn't joke. My throat was dry, and I felt hot and
cold by turns. I thought of the old hut by the creek, and could see
mother sitting rocking herself, and crying out loud, and Aileen with
a set dull look on her face as if she'd never speak or smile again. I
thought of the days, months, years that were to pass under lock and key,
with irons and shame and solitude all for company. I wondered if the
place where they shut up mad people was like a gaol, and why we were not
sent there instead.

I heard part of what the judge said, but not all--bits here and there.
The jury had brought in a most righteous verdict; just what he should
have expected from the effect of the evidence upon an intelligent,
well-principled Nomah jury. (We heard afterwards that they were six to
six, and then agreed to toss up how the verdict was to go.) 'The crime
of cattle and horse stealing had assumed gigantic proportions. Sheep, as
yet, appeared to be safe; but then there were not very many within a few
hundred miles of Nomah. It appeared to him that the prisoner known as
Starlight, though from old police records his real name appeared to
be----'

Here he drew himself up and faced the judge in defiance. Then like
lightning he seemed to change, and said--

'Your Honour, I submit that it can answer no good purpose to disclose my
alleged name. There are others--I do not speak for myself.'

The judge stopped a bit; then hesitated. Starlight bowed. 'I do
not--a--know whether there is any necessity to make public a name
which many years since was not better known than honoured. I say
the--a--prisoner known as Starlight has, from the evidence, taken
the princip