summoned to court the filial youth Hikosaburo, the nephew Ichiyemon, and the two laborers. When all had appeared, he called them up and said to Ichiyemon : " When your aunt was killed you demanded the exe cution of Hikobei as the murderer. But his son has now come up from Osaka, and has brought to me complete proof of his father's innocence! The real murderer was not Hikobei, but a man named Kantaro. I now proclaim that Hikobei was entirely innocent of the crime of which he was accused." At these words Hikosaburo could not restrain his emotion. The clearing of his father's name had at last been accomplished, and he poured out his thanks to the judge. ,; One thing only I ask," he continued, " that I may have the body of my dear father given back to me, to be taken to his home in Osaka, and buried where our ancestors lie." But the others did not take it so easily. The thought of the innocent man, now gone beyond the possibility of pardon or recall, excited the laborers and their friends who were present, and they began to murmur remarks not at all favorable to the abilities of Oka. " It is a pity," said one, " that the judge should have been so hasty in condemning to death a man who now proves to have been quite inno cent." " Kantaro is punished," said another, more loudly; " but is there no punishment for the official who kills an innocent man?" Oka in vain ordered silence. The popular feeling had been aroused by the miscarriage of justice, and the friends of the innocent victim did not restrain their utterances. Fi nally Oka made a sign, and before long there appeared at the door a pale figure who ad vanced between two attendants to the group before the judge. " Hikosaburo," said Oka,

"this is the reward which I offer for your noble conduct in coming to rescue your father." Hikosaburo turned. It was his father. The two rushed into each other's arms and shed tears of joy, while the others were dumb with amazement. Oka then told the secret. " When the old lady was killed," he said, " her nephew insisted that the guilty person was Hikobei. Of his arrest, torture, and confession, you all know. But I never once believed that Hikobei was the criminal. His confession, I knew, was made to obtain release from torture. So I determined to save him. A convict had just died in prison; I ordered his head cut off and flayed, and exposed it at Suzukamori, instead of Hikobei's. Meanwhile he lived quietly in the prison, until some proofs of his innocence should turn up. You all thought that he was exe cuted; but here he is, thanks to the noble conduct of his son, and the friendly help of Sukeju and Gonzo, and my conviction of his innocence has been justified. Some of you just now angrily reproached me for my seeming injustice. But I shall take no notice of your disrespectful words, for I know that you were much excited, and on the whole I am glad to have in my town citizens who are not afraid to speak up when they see an innocent man suffer." With these words he ordered a reward to be paid to the two laborers, while they, now ashamed of their mistrust of the omniscient judge, bowed low and expressed the humblest apologies. When Hikobei and his son left the court and the news of his vindication spread through the city, the people were full of the praises of Oka and his wonderful penetration and wis dom; and the case has ever since been known as " The Flayed Head on the Gibbet."