I trust I--I--know my duties as--a mag-istrate--my cour--urage and in-trep--id--ity as such--ugh! ijg'h! ugh!--are no saycret now, I think." "I don't believe," observed Purcel, "that there is one syllable of truth in what he says.

I can read the falsehood in his eye.

However," he added, "if you will postpone this matter of Hourigan's for a few minutes, I shall soon see whether there is any one there or not." "Here, then," said the magistrate, "take these pistols" (pointing to those which Finigan had just laid on the table).

Purcel declined them with a nod, taking a good case at the same time out of his own pocket.
"No, sir, thank you, I never travel without my two friends here, with either of which I can break a bottle at the distance of thirty yards.
You will be good enough to tell that to your friends, Mr.Hourigan, and also to reflect upon it yourself." Having examined his friends, as he called them, he started out and proceeded directly towards the shrubbery, where, however, there was no trace whatever of any one.

On his way home he met Fergus O'Driscol, who had been out that morning cock-shooting through the grounds, and to whom he mentioned the story told by Hourigan.