e foreman, and a Cockney sort of
chap he be. He turns round in the box and, says he:

"'In course you are all agreed.'

"'Agreed as how?' says I.

"'Why, agreed as he's guilty, in course,' says he.

"'Nothing of the sort,' says I. 'I believes he's as innocent as a
child unborn.'

"Then they all comes round me and jaws; but seeing as I wasn't
going to give in, Stokes he asked the judge for leave to retire.

"Well, when we retires they all pitches into me, and says as it's
monstrous one man should hold out agin eleven; and that, even if I
didn't feel sure myself, I ought to go as the others went. So I
didn't say much, but I sits myself down and brings out a big chunk
of bread and bacon, as my good woman had put into my pocket, and I
begins to eat.

"'Look you here,' says I, 'I ha' got four parcels like this. Today
be Friday, and I can hold on easy till Tuesday. That's how I looks
at it. This young chap ain't had nothing to do with this 'ere
robbery, and I ain't going to see he transported for what he never
done.'

"Well, there we sits. Sometimes they would all talk at once,
sometimes two or three of them would give it me. Ten o'clock comes
and they got desperate like, for only one or two of them had put
anything into their pockets, thinking that the matter was sure to
be finished that night. When the messages were sent out again, as
we couldn't agree, I sits down in a corner and, says I:

"'I ain't a selfish man, and any of you as changes your mind can
have a share of what I have got.'

"I dozes off, but I hears them jawing away among themselves. It
might have been two o'clock when one of them comes to me and gives
me a shake and, says he:

"'Give us a cut of that bread and bacon. I am well-nigh starved. I
have got a wife and children to think of, and it don't matter to me
whether this chap goes to Botany Bay, or whether he don't. It
didn't seem to me a certain case, all along, so I will go along
with you.'

"Gradually two or three more comes, and when it got light I could
see as some more was hesitating so, says I:

"'Lookee here, my friends. Those who has agreed to give this young
chap another chance has lessened my stock of bread and bacon pretty
considerable, and I ain't got more than enough for one more, so
who's the next?'

"Four more spoke out at once. I divides the bread and bacon among
them; then, as there was nine of us agin three, we goes at them and
tells them how wrong it is as we was all