Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 133: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CAPTAIN LIGHTFOOT 131 “And now will you stop holding one of your old meetings and go before you get us all caught—and that would be a pretty thing, wouldn’t it? ’’ shouted Michael so vehemently that Clonmel put a hand on his arm to quiet him. Regis, shaking, reached for the habit, and Clonmel helped him put it on. ‘‘ Mick, you’ve surprised me, man. You’ve surprised me. God bless you, Mick—and the first boy we have will be called © Michael Martin Donnell.” Now Michael rapped loudly for the warder, and when they heard him coming down the corridor, Michael blew out the candle and lay down on the palliasse in his shirt-sleeves. ‘The key grated, the door swung open. “ He has fallen into a deep sleep,”’ said Clonmel, ‘‘ and here, my man, is ten guineas for your understanding services.”’ And the warder almost bowed to the ground—ten guineas, what munificence!—and bowing and cringing, he ushered Lord Clonmel and the reverend father to the door. Michael lay with his arms under his head, staring up at the ceiling. ** Ah well,”’ he told himself, ‘‘ it’s no worse than the Fort, at that.” But in the morning there was hell to pay. Whistling blithely, a day warder unlocked the door of Regis’s cell and entered, carrying a tray of food. ““ Morning, sir,’ he chirped. “ Morning,”’ said Michael, smiling. And the warder stared like a man ina nightmare, and then he ran out into the corridor, leaving the cell door ajar, and looked at the other cells, then he rushed back and stared blankly at Michael, who stood grinning at him; and finally he locked Michael in the cell and went screaming down the corridor as if all the devils in hell were after him. And now the venerable Castle was forced to release the news that the Great Rebel and Traitor, Regis Donnell, had escaped, but the bulletin went on to state that his reapprehension was expected in a matter of hours. Then the next day a new bulletin was issued: the Great Highwayman and Thief, Michael Martin, referred to vulgarly as Captain Lightfoot, had been captured after a wild chase by men of the Lord-Lieutenant’s personal forces, and was now incarcerated in Dublin Castle and would shortly be tried for his life. But the bulletins did not achieve their object. Gossip spreads in Ireland like fire in straw. The truth of the matter was soon known even in the Aran Islands, and @ roaring defiant laugh went up over the whole country. Oh, that Lightfoot! He was the boy for you! Michael was arraigned before an old, deaf, hard-eyed magistrate who used an ear-trumpet. Angus Desmond, the factor from Bally- moure, urged on by Lord Devereaux, whose old friend Crewe, the Lord-Lieutenant, was in such a pickle at the Castle, identified Michael and gave evidence against him. Nothing more was needed, and at last the magistrate said: comicloooks.comn