Kilgorman Part 39

"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 overheard 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 p.r.o.nounce his sentence.

"Ca.s.sidy," 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!"

Ca.s.sidy, who heard his sentence without concern or emotion, shouted,--

"Down with the king! Down with informers!" and fell in between his executioners, as they marched from the yard.

"As for you, Flanagan, your guilt is equally clear and heinous; but you have given evidence which ent.i.tles you to more lenient treatment. You will be taken to Derry Jail, till arrangements are made to send you out of the country--"

"Faith, I'd start this day!" said Flanagan, on whom the perils of remaining within reach of his late comrades were evidently beginning to dawn.

"Silence! Remove the prisoner!"

At this moment the report of a volley in the paddock without sent a grim shudder through the party. Flanagan, with a livid face, walked off between his guards, and the three magistrates turned to enter the house.

His honour beckoned to me to follow, and took me into his private room.

"I owe you something for yesterday," said he in his ungracious way.

"Take a word of advice. Get out of these parts as soon as you can, and warn your brother to do the same."

"Why should I go?" said I. "I've done nothing to be ashamed of."

"Unless you are prepared to tell the authorities everything you know, and a.s.sist in hunting down the rebels, you are better away. You are a marked man already among the rebels. Unless you a.s.sist our side you will be a marked man among the authorities."

"If it comes to that, your honour," said I, "there is no man more marked in these parts than yourself. The boys could forgive you for being on the English side, but they can't forgive you for having encouraged them once and turned against them now."

His honour turned white at this.

"How do you know that?" he demanded.

"How does every one know it?" replied I. "Your enemies are not likely to let you off with yesterday's attempt."

His honour looked at me as if he would read in my face something more than my words expressed. I was older now than I once was, and I was my own master, so I had no reason to avoid his scrutiny.

"I have given you the advice of a friend," said he coldly; "take it or leave it. Meanwhile, your business here is at an end."

"May I see Miss Kit?" said I, in a milder tone, which his honour at once observed. "She desired to see me when I came to-day."

"Miss Gorman is not at home."

This was a blow to me, and I had not the art to conceal it.

"Will she be back to-day?" I ventured to ask.