The Mayor examined it, and almost immediately said, "My dear George, you
have made a mistake; these depositions are on a form reserved for
deponents who are on the point of death."
"Alas!" answered George, "there is no help for it. I did my utmost to
prevent their signing. I knew that those depositions were their own
death warrant,--and that is why, though I was satisfied that the prisoner
is a foreign devil, I had hoped to be able to shut my eyes. I can now no
longer do so, and as the inevitable consequence, I must Blue-Pool both
the Professors before midnight. What man of ordinary feeling would not
under these circumstances have tried to dissuade them from deposing as
they have done?"
By this time the Professors had started to their feet, and there was a
look of horrified astonishment on the faces of all present, save that of
George, who seemed quite happy.
"What monstrous absurdity is this?" shouted Hanky; "do you mean to murder
us?"
"Certainly not. But you have insisted that I should do my duty, and I
mean to do it. You gentlemen have now been proved to my satisfaction to
have had traffic with a foreign devil; and under section 37 of the
Afforesting Act, I must at once Blue-Pool any such persons without public
trial."
"Nonsense, nonsense, there was nothing of the kind on our permit, and as
for trafficking with this foreign devil, we spoke to him, but we neither
bought nor sold.
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