."

"I understand, then," said George, appearing to take no notice of Hanky's
innuendo, "that you will swear to the facts as you have above stated
them?"

"Certainly."

"Then kindly wait while I write them on the form that I have brought with
me; the Mayor can administer the oath and sign your depositions. I shall
then be able to leave you, and proceed with getting up the case against
the prisoner."

So saying, he went to a writing-table in another part of the room, and
made out the depositions.

Meanwhile the Mayor, Mrs. Humdrum, and Dr. Downie (who had each of them
more than once vainly tried to take part in the above discussion)
conversed eagerly in an undertone among themselves. Hanky was blind with
rage, for he had a sense that he was going to be outwitted; the Mayor,
Yram, and Mrs. Humdrum had already seen that George thought he had all
the trumps in his own hand, but they did not know more. Dr. Downie was
frightened, and Panky so muddled as to be _hors de combat_.

George now rejoined the Professors, and read the depositions: the Mayor
administered the oath according to Erewhonian custom; the Professors
signed without a word, and George then handed the document to his father
to countersign.

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 person