is the prerogative of magistrates, "that you are not as yet in
possession of the evidence on which I am to be asked to commit the
prisoner to the Old Bailey?"

"That is so, your Worship," said the counsel. "All we could procure from
Hanson was the bald affidavit which was necessary to secure the man's
arrest."

"So that if anything happened to your witness, there would be no case
for the Crown?"

The Attorney-General nodded.

"Those are exactly the circumstances, your Worship," he said, "and that
is why we have been careful to keep our witness in security. The man is
in a highly nervous condition, and we have been obliged to humour him.
But I do not think your Worship need have any apprehension as to the
evidence which will be produced to-day, or that there will not be
sufficient to justify a committal."

"I see," said the magistrate.

Sir Stanley turned to Stafford and whispered:

"Rather a queer proceeding."

Stafford nodded.

"It is the only thing we could do," he said. "Hanson refused to speak
until he was in court--until, as he said, he saw Boundary under arrest."

"Does Boundary know this?"

"I suppose so," replied Stafford with a little smile, "he knows
everything. He has a whole army of spies. Sir Stanley, you don't know
how big this organisation is. He has roped in everybody. He has Members
of Parliament, he has the best lawyers in London, and two of the big
detective agencies are engaged exclusively on his work."

Sir Stanley pursed his lips thoughtfully and turned his attention to the
prosecuting counsel. The address was not a long one, and presently the
Attorney-General sat down, to be followed by a leading member of the
Bar, retained for the defence. Presently he too had finished, and again
the Attorney-General rose.

"Call Olaf Hanson," he said, and there was a stir of excitement.

The door leading to the cells opened, and two tall detectives came
through, and two others followed. In the midst of the four walked the
short, grey-faced man, in whose hands was the fate, and indeed the life,
of Colonel Dan Boundary.

He did not as much as glance at the dock, but hurried across the floor
of the court and was ushered to the witness stand, his four guardians
disposing themselves behind and before him. The man seemed on the point
of crumbling. His fear-full eyes ranged the court, always avoiding the
gross figure in the railed dock. The lips of the witness were white and
trembling. The hands w