Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-07-18
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alonga youf" Savile asked the half
caste.
Here the sergeant rose and said:
"Your worship, protest against the
time Of the court being wasted by this
irrelevant evidence. In fact, I protest
against this black fellows evidence be-
ing taken at all II perhaps matters Lie.
tie what he says anyhow"
And now the magistrate. who had all
throughout the case heard both sides
impartially. remarked somewhat dryly:
II think. sergeant, that II I consider
Il proper to take this black fellows, -
you call him, evidence your protest 10
i'll timed. don't zee why you should
object 10 It. myself feel rather curious
in regard TO Mr. Smythe's antecedentA
"Hear, heart" again interjected the
gentleman Of sporting proclivities.
who, after having been forcibly elected
for like offense, had once more stolen
into the tent, only to forget himself In
Q weak moment.
Corporal, cried the magistrate,
"have that man arrested'
But as the offender happened to be
personal friend Of the magistrates he
was doubtless released later on and
fined the drinks Order had TO be main
tained in court. particularly when the
mans credit was good
"well. Freddy" Savile repeated.
"that one Danny 6mythe been good
master alonga your"
The half caste seemed to mesmerize
Smythe with his great eyes as he an
swered:
"That fellow plenty coolsh, alonga
me-plenty killum me-baal that fel-
low gif' him shirt, nor tobsc, baal that
fellow gif' him thiIithpence. That fel.
low bad. bad. man. One time that fel-
low Here the half caste paused.
raised one hand fearfully to his head
as if touching the mark Of an old scar.
and as if overpowered by some terrible
recollection.
Smythe began to shake In every
limb. / began to fear that he would
nave another ft The same thing SEEM
ed to have struck Savile.
"That will do. Freddy" I said hur-
riedly to the boy. ''But perhaps the
sergeant might like TO ask you some
questions.
The sergeant, thinking that he would
have an easy time with this untutored
son Of the bush. straightway began to
question him. He had not asked many
questions before he discovered. much
to his astonishment, that be had unac-
countably succeeded In damaging bis
own case. He sat down In bewildered
fashion. and muttsred something about
"the devil being in the boy"
When the half caste came to put his
mark to his evidence hs again excited
the amusement Of the spprecistive su-
dience, for he nearly upset the ink pot.
Then dabbling his fingers in the ink be
drew them across his face. When /
looked for him again in the crowd. he
had vanished as completely as II he had
only been passing shadow.
asked permission TO cross examine
Smythe, and the magistrate granted my
request
had got my clew.
"And now, Mr.. Smythe." asked a.
Ssvile sat down, ~ want you to think
minute. and TO be careful Of what you
say. Don't you think You made mis-
take when you said you were at the
Cloncurry ON or about the 9th OF
March last =
AZ suppose I must have been mis-
took" was the cowed and whining re-
ply, his eyes wandering around rs II
looking for some one; lit must have
been later than that.
The sergeant threw down the papers
he had been holding, and crossed one
leg over the other with the air OF man
who says 'the game is up"
"And now. look ut the prisoner
again." continued. "You see, one Is
liable to make mistakes. Looking at
him closely. isn't it possible that when
this morning you spoke Of seeing him at
the Cloncurry you were deceived by
some chance resemblance. and that il is
more than likely you never saw him
beforey" I looked around ss II for the
Nsf caste.
He interpreted my glance, and in ,
voice that quivered with trepidation
whined:
"D-d-don't-b begosh! I reckon I
did make mistake-yup-oh, yes,
yup, yup-I jist cal pclate / was fooled
BY resemblance-he 10 not the John
Farquharson meant at ALL reckon
never seed that fellow before"
'.f you ever knew any John Farqu-
harson, sneered. ~ have done with
yOu-in the meantime" I
As he sat down be was evidently
vastly relieved. II guilt was not clearly
written on the debauched face, then /
never saw it on any. made known to
the magistrate that all my witnesses
had been called.
The sergeant rose to his feet, but
what he said had little weight. He
knew his case was hopeless- When he
at down il was my turn.
merely said that as the bench had
heard my case IL was needless for me 70
comment upon IL. ! was not quite sure
but that the injured man who sat there
q prisoner had q perfect right to
take proceedings against the parties
who had placed him in such . false po-
Etion. Moreover. it appeared to me
that the charge Of murder against the
real and unfortunate John Farquharson
was q very shadowy and incomplete
one indeed. would take care that his
friends should yet clear mp the mystery
associated with his memory and bring
the murder home TO the guilty man.
At this point the magistrate slightly
raised his hand, and my heart beat
wildly as I interpreted the action. Now
that victory was near at hand, ! felt
strange sickness and buxzing in my
cara felt that the fever had not quite
left me. and the strain Of the past sew
eral hours had almost been too trying.
As in dream caught the magistrste's
words:
prisoner at the bar, you are dis
charged / regret that In the exercise
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