s. I have been robbed, and fastened here, as you see, by a gang of
scoundrels'--I took good care to say nothing of smugglers--'who have
carried away everything I possessed. Have the goodness to loosen these
confounded cords, and set me at liberty.'

'Were there many of them?' quoth the mayor, without budging a step
forward.

'Yes, a dozen at least. But untie me at once. I'm heartily sick of being
chained up here.'

'A dozen at least!' repeated he, in an accent of wonderment. '_Ma foi_,
a very formidable gang. Do you remember any of their names?'

'Devil take their names! how should I know them? Come, cut these cords,
will you? We can talk just as well when I 'm free.'

'Not so fast, not so fast,' said he, admonishing me with a bland motion
of his hand. 'Everything must be done in order. Now, since you don't
know their names, we must put them down as "parties unknown."'

'Put them down whatever you like; but let me loose!'

'All in good time. Let us proceed regularly. Who are your witnesses?'

'Witnesses!' screamed I, overcome with passion; 'you'll drive me
distracted! I tell you I was waylaid in the wood by a party of
scoundrels, and you ask me for their names, and then for my witnesses!
Cut these cords, and don't be so infernally stupid! Come, old fellow,
look alive, will you?'

'Softly, softly; don't interrupt public justice,' said he, with a most
provoking composure. 'We must draw up the _proces-verbal_.'

'To be sure,' said I, endeavouring to see what might be done by
concurrence with him, 'nothing more natural But let me loose first; and
then we 'll arrange the _proces_.'

'Not at all; you're all wrong,' interposed he. 'I must have two
witnesses first, to establish the fact of your present position; ay, and
they must be of sound mind, and able to sign their names.'

'May Heaven grant me patience, or I'll burst!' said I to myself, while
he continued in a regular sing-song tone--

[Illustration: 168-245]

'Then we'll take the depositions in form. Where do you come from?'

'Ireland,' said I, with a deep sigh, wishing I were up to the neck in a
bog-hole there, in preference to my actual misfortune.

'What language do you usually speak?'

'English.'

'There, now,' said he, brightening up, 'there's an important fact
already in the class No. 1--identity--which speaks of "all traits,
marks, and characteristic signs by which the plaintiff may be known."
Now, we'll set you forth as "an Irishman that spe