n Connaught, and his time was
very fully occupied.

It took Joyce nearly three hours to reach the town and he had ample time
to prepare his case against Flanagan as he went There was no lack
of material for the lawsuit A feud of years' standing provides many
grievances which can fairly be brought into court. Joyce's difficulty
was to make a choice. He pondered deeply as he walked along the bare
road across the bog. When he reached the door of Mr. Madden's office
he had a tale of injuries suffered at the hands of the Flanagans which
would, he felt sure, move the judge to vindictive fury.

Mr. Madden was already busy when Joyce was shown unto his room.

"Well," he said, "who are you and what do you want?"

"My name's Peter Joyce of Letterbrack, your honour," said Joyce. "A
decent man with a long weak family, and my father was a decent man
before me, and it's no fault of mine that I'm here to-day, and going
into court, though there isn't another gentleman in all Ireland I'd
sooner come to than yourself, Mr. Madden, if so be I had to come to
anyone. And it's what I'm druv to, for if I wasn't----"

"What is it?" said Mr. Madden. "Police? Drunk and disorderly?"

"It is not," said Joyce. "Sure I never was took by the police only
twice, and them times they wouldn't have meddled with me only for the
spite the sergeant had against me. But he's gone from the place now,
thanks be to God, and the one that came after him wouldn't touch me."

Peter Joyce sank his voice to a whisper.

"It's how I want to take the law of Patrick Joseph Flanagan," he said.

"Trespass or assault?" said Mr. Madden.

He was a man of immense experience. He succeeded in carrying on a
large practice because he wasted no time in listening to preliminary
explanations of his clients. Most legal actions in the West of Ireland
are reducible to trespass or assault.

"It's both the two of them," said Joyce.

Mr. Madden made a note on a sheet of paper before him. Joyce waited
until he had finished writing. Then he said slowly:

"Trespass and assault and more besides."

Mr. Madden asked no question. He added to the note he had written
the words "And abusive language." Abusive language generally follows
trespass and immediately precedes assault.

"Now," said Mr. Madden, "get on with your story and make it as short as
you can."

Peter Joyce did his best to make the story short He succeeded in making
it immensely complicated. There was a boundary wall i