d yez murdher the
goddess or did yez not? By yer sowls, tell the truth. Guilty or not
guilty?'

"'Guilty,' said both prisoners.

"'Thin, by yer own mouths be ye condimned,' said Oi. 'The sintince of
this coort is that ye both be beheaded on the mortal spot.'"

"I think, Flathootly," said I, "that you rather exceeded your duty in
so hastily condemning the prisoners. You should have brought them to
Calnogor for proper trial and execution."

"Shure, Oi knew that, but, to tell yer majesty the truth, it wudn't
have added to yer credit to have ordhered the execution of Bhooly, an'
so Oi took the responsibility of the whole thing on meself. Oi made
Bhooly an' Koshnili kneel down, an' a sojer tied their hands behind
their backs. Then Oi ordhered a wayleal to behead thim wid their own
swords. Afther some hot work the heads av both murdherers rolled on
the ground."

"Why didn't you shoot them or kill them at once with your spears?"

"Oi considered it too aisy a death for thim. Oi didn't want thim to
die widout knowin' they were gittin' hurt."

I forgave Flathootly his too hasty execution of the ex-king, as he had
undoubtedly saved me a very disagreeable duty, and the hasty taking
off of his ex-majesty prevented any demonstration in his favor.

[Illustration: I MADE BHOOLY AN' KOSHNILI KNEEL DOWN AN' A SOJER TIED
THEIR HANDS BEHIND THEIR BACKS. THEN I ORDHERED A WAYLEAL TO BEHEAD
THEM WID THEIR OWN SWORDS.]

To assure the people of my anxiety for a popular government, I issued
a proclamation ordering a general election, to create a new
Borodemy in place of the assembly whose members had disappeared, or
were made prisoners of war, or were dead. In thus providing for a
constitutional government, I granted the nation not only all its
ancient privileges, but added new and more important measures of
political liberty.

As the revenues of Atvatabar amounted to $8,000,000,000 per annum,
there was no danger of myself or comrades of the _Polar King_ falling
short of handsome revenues.

The re-establishment of the government, the reorganization of the
army, navy, and police, together with the care of the palaces of
Calnogor and Tanje and the new ritual for the Bormidophia and
Egyplosis, occupied my attention for a longer period than I at first
contemplated. While these things were being accomplished I gave a
grand public reception and royal banquet to Captain Adams and Sir John
Forbes and the officers and seamen of the ships