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COVOUR NAMI Ia HELUY BEECHWoRTH?"

scroll of paper he had held i his hand, and rcac out as follows :—

“T1, Henry Beechworth, hereby of my own frce will join the Black Brotherhood, and 1 vow solemnly by heaven and carth to be truc to them, and never utter a single word or aive a sign that would be hkely to betray any individual of the Brotherhood, or the Brother- hood collectively. And that at any time, should T be arrested, T will give no mforma- tion against the Brothers, cven though my life 1s at stake. Iverything T obtain I will add to the common treasury, and T will at all times be subject to the ruling of the presi- dent, whoever he may be. 'These things 1 swear to do ; and should at any time 1 break my oath, I hope that T shall go blind. I am aware that the rope I now have round my

neck s a symbol that o the event of my betraving the Drotherhood their vengeance will pursue me to the ends of the carth, and that my life will be forfeited.”

“You have heard what I have read?” asked the president.

“1 have,” answered Becechworth.

“And you will subscribe your name to it ?”

“1 will.”

Here the president made a sign, and one of the two hooded men at the head of the table approached, and receiving the bowl and the dagger, he returned to the novitiate, who, mstructed by the president; bent forward. Then the man took up the dagger and with its sharp point made a wound 1in the fleshy part of the novitiate’s breast. Beechworth then bent right over the bowl, so that the