The
least penalty my father can inflict is twelve months' imprisonment with
hard labour; and he must undergo this sentence before I can Blue-Pool
him.
"Then comes the question whether or no he is a foreign devil. I may
decide this in private, but I must have depositions on oath before I do
so, and at present I have nothing but hearsay. Perhaps you gentlemen can
give me the evidence I shall require, but the case is one of such
importance that were the prisoner proved never so clearly to be a foreign
devil, I should not Blue-Pool him till I had taken the King's pleasure
concerning him. I shall rejoice, therefore, if you gentlemen can help me
to sustain the charge of poaching, and thus give me legal standing-ground
for deferring action which the King might regret, and which once taken
cannot be recalled."
Here Yram interposed. "These points," she said, "are details. Should we
not first settle, not what, but who, we shall allow the prisoner to be,
when he is brought up to-morrow morning? Settle this, and the rest will
settle itself. He has declared himself to be the Sunchild, and will
probably do so again. I am prepared to identify him, so is Dr. Downie,
so is Mrs. Humdrum, the interpreter, and doubtless my father. Others of
known respectability will also do so, and his marks and measurements are
sure to correspond quite sufficiently.
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