"While my master was busy scolding me Mendoza put his pistol in
his pocket, came up with a smile on his face and looked down the
mine.
" 'Why, Good Gracious'!" said he to Luke, 'You've killed
Bluebeard Bill. I must go and tell the police'--hoping, you see,
to get the whole mine to himself when Luke should be put in
prison. Then he jumped on his horse and galloped away."
"And soon my master grew afraid; for he saw that if Mendoza only
told enough lies to the police, it WOULD look as though he had
killed Bill on purpose. So while Mendoza was gone he and I stole
away together secretly and came to England. Here he shaved off
his beard and became a hermit. And ever since, for fifteen years,
we've remained in hiding. This is all I have to say. And I swear
it is the truth, every word."
When the Doctor finished reading Bob's long speech the excitement
among the twelve men of the jury was positively terrific. One, a
very old man with white hair, began to weep in a loud voice at
the thought of poor Luke hiding on the fen for fifteen years for
something he couldn't help. And all the others set to whispering
and nodding their heads to one another.
In the middle of all this up got that horrible Prosecutor again,
waving his arms more wildly than ever.
"Your Honor," he cried, "I must object to this evidence as
biased. Of course the dog would not tell the truth against his
own master. I object. I protest."
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