t?" he asked.

"We have," was the reply.

"Are you guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty, sir."

This candid admission was a surprise to the Squire, as he had expected
that the men would emphatically deny the charges. He was not prepared
for this, and hardly knew how to proceed. He frowned, twisted in his
chair, and felt most uncomfortable. The staring and gaping audience
greatly embarrassed him.

"S-so you confess your guilt, eh?" he at length stammered.

"Yes, sir; we do."

"Are you not afraid of the consequences!"

"What are they?"

"W-well, I h-have to see about that. I'm not just sure yet. But why
did you make the attack upon Mr. Handyman?"

"We were ordered to do so, sir," Tom replied.

"H'm, I see," and the Squire rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his
right hand. He was thinking clearly now, and realised how necessary it
was for him to be most discreet with his questions. "Were there just
two of you?" he presently asked.

"No, sir."

"Who were the others?"

"They can speak for themselves, sir."

No sooner had the words left Tom's mouth than four men stepped forward.

"And were you in the trouble, too?" the Squire questioned.

"Yes, sir," the spokesman replied. "We was with Tom an' Pete. We're
guilty, too."

"Well, I must say you are a fine bunch of nighthawks," and the Squire
gave a slight, sarcastic laugh. "You should be thoroughly ashamed of
yourselves."

"We're more'n ashamed, sir," Tom replied; "we're disgusted."

"Disgusted at what?"

"At makin' sich fools of ourselves, an' bein' the tools of another."

"But you are responsible men, and why do you try to shift the blame to
other shoulders?" the Squire sternly demanded.

"Because we'd been drinkin', sir. We really didn't know what we was
doin' that night. The whiskey was given us an' we was ready for any
divilment. That's the long and short of it."

Squire Hawkins now rose slowly to his feet and looked upon the audience
before him.

"Gentlemen," he began, "I do not see any reason why I should prolong
this enquiry. These men have confessed everything, and there is
nothing more for me to do except to impose the penalties. I shall be
very lenient as this is the first time they have been brought before
me. But I wish to warn you all that if I am called upon to deal with
such a case again, I shall be very severe."

No sooner had the Squire sat down, than Douglas was on his feet. He
had listened with almost incredulous