on was dragged off, struggling and yelping, and
presently a series of piercing howls, growing fainter and fainter as he
fled before his tormentors, announced that the hint had been taken. The
two officers rushed to the little window of the mill and roared with
laughter, while the troopers, peeping furtively over their shoulders,
could not restrain themselves from joining in their mirth, from which I
gathered that Master Tetheridge, as, spurred on by fear, he hurled his
fat body through hedges and into ditches, was a somewhat comical sight.

'And now for the other,' said the little officer, turning away from the
window and wiping the tears of laughter from his face. 'That beam over
yonder would serve our purpose. Where is Hangman Broderick, the Jack
Ketch of the Royals?'

'Here I am, sir,' responded a sullen, heavy-faced trooper, shuffling
forward; 'I have a rope here with a noose.'

'Throw it over the beam, then. What is amiss with your hand, you clumsy
rogue, that you should wear linen round it?'

'May it please you, sir,' the man answered, 'it was all through an
ungrateful, prick-eared Presbyterian knave whom I hung at Gommatch. I
had done all that could be done for him. Had he been at Tyburn he could
scarce have met with more attention. Yet when I did put my hand to his
neck to see that all was as it should be, he did fix me with his teeth,
and hath gnawed a great piece from my thumb.'

'I am sorry for you,' said the officer. 'You know, no doubt, that the
human bite under such circumstances is as deadly as that of the mad dog,
so that you may find yourself snapping and barking one of these fine
mornings. Nay, turn not pale! I have heard you preach patience and
courage to your victims. You are not afraid of death?'

'Not of any Christian death, your Honour. Yet, ten shillings a week is
scarce enough to pay a man for an end like that!'

'Nay, it is all a lottery,' remarked the Captain cheerily. 'I have heard
that in these cases a man is so drawn up that his heels do beat a tattoo
against the back of his head. But, mayhap, it is not as painful as it
would appear. Meanwhile, do you proceed to do your office.'

Three or four troopers caught me by the arms, but I shook them off as
best I might, and walked with, as I trust, a steady step and a cheerful
face under the beam, which was a great smoke-blackened rafter passing
from one side of the chamber to the other. The rope was thrown over
this, and the noose placed r