“Was there any one else in the barn?”

Yes—­two persons, who gave the names of George and Gertie Trustcott.  These were prepared to give evidence as to the prisoner’s identity, and as to his leaving and returning to the barn on the evening in question, if the magistrate wished....  Yes; they were present in court.

* * * * *

The General began to turn a little testy as the constable finished.  He seemed a magistrate who liked to be paternal, and he appeared to grow impatient under the extraordinarily correct language of the policeman.

He turned to Frank—­seeming to forget all about the two witnesses not yet called—­and spoke rather sharply: 

“You don’t deny all that?  You plead guilty, eh?”

“Yes, sir,” said Frank, gazing at the very pink salmon emblazoned on the tin.

“Why did you do it?”

“I was hungry, sir.”

“Hungry, eh?  An able-bodied lad like you?  Can’t you work, then?”

“When I can get it, sir,” said Frank

“Eh?... eh?  Well, that’s true enough.  You couldn’t get it that day, anyhow.  Mr. What’s-his-name’s told us that.”

“Yes, sir.”

Then the Rector leaned forward swiftly—­to Frank’s horror.

“You speak like an educated man.”

“Do I, sir?  I’m very pleased to hear it.”

There was a faint snigger in court.

“Where were you educated?” persisted the Rector.

“Am I bound to incriminate myself, sir?”

“Incriminate?” said the General suddenly interested.  “Eh? you mean, after a good education.  I see.  No, of course you’re not, my lad.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“And you plead guilty?  And you’d like the case dealt with now?”

“If you please, sir.”

The clerk rose swiftly in his place and began to whisper to the magistrates behind his hand.  Frank understood perfectly what was happening; he understood that it was doubtful whether or no his case could be dealt with in this court.  He exploded within himself a violent adjuration to the Supreme Authorities, and the next instant the General sat back.

“Nonsense! nonsense!  It isn’t highway robbery at all within the meaning of the term.  We’ll deal with it now—­eh, gentlemen?”

There was a little more whispering, and finally the General settled himself and took up a quill pen.

“Well, we’ll deal with it now, my lad, as you wish.  I’m sorry to see a fellow like you in this position—­particularly if you’ve had a good education, as you seem to have had.  Cowardly thing, you know, to attack a child like that, isn’t it? even if you were hungry.  You ought to be more hardy than that, you know—­a great fellow like you—­than to mind a bit of hunger.  Boys like you ought to enlist; that’d make a man of you in no time.  But no....  I know you; you won’t....  You’d sooner loaf about and pick up what you can—­sooner than serve His Majesty.  Well, well, there’s no compulsion—­not yet; but you should think over it.  Come and see me, if you like, when you’ve done your time, and we’ll see what can be done.  That’d be better than loafing about and picking up tins of salmon, eh?”