ing pistols unless the question was directly put
to him. But the more he had thought over the matter, the more convinced
was he that the heavier the sentence the better it would be for the
Rector; and when he had heard from the latter that there was nothing
left in his son's room that could be brought against him, and that he
could not be charged with the capital crime of being a receiver, he
thought it best to let matters take their course.

The head constable was the next witness. He deposed to the finding of
the articles produced upon the two elder prisoners and the unsuccessful
search of the younger prisoner's room.

"You did not search the house further?" the chairman inquired.

"No, sir; I wanted to get the prisoners down here as fast as I could,
seeing that two of them were seriously hurt."

The chairman nodded.

"You will, of course, make a careful search of the whole house,
constable."

"Yes, sir; I left one of my men up there with instructions to allow no
one to go upstairs until I returned."

"Quite right."

John Thorndyke was the next witness, and his evidence cleared up what
had hitherto been a mystery to the general body of the public, as to
how he and the constable happened to be in the house on watch when the
highwaymen arrived. The most important part of his evidence was the
repetition of the words young Bastow had used as he mounted the ladder,
as they showed that it was arranged between the prisoners that the
stolen goods should be hidden in the house. The Squire was only asked
one or two questions.

"I suppose, Mr. Thorndyke, that you had no idea whatever that the
younger prisoner would be accompanied by anyone else when he returned
home?"

"Not the slightest," the Squire replied. "I was there simply to prevent
this unfortunate lad from entering the house, when perhaps he might have
used violence towards his father. My intention was to seize him if he
did so, and to give him the choice of enlisting, as I had urged him to
do, or of being brought before this bench for breaking into his father's
house. I felt that anything was better than his continuing in the evil
courses on which he seemed bent."

"Thank you, Mr. Thorndyke. I must compliment you in the name of my
brother magistrates, and I may say of the public, for the manner in
which you, at considerable risk to yourself, have effected the capture
of the two elder prisoners."

After consulting with the others the head constable was r