," said Jip. "He's in prison."

"In prison!"

"Yes."

"What for?--What's he done?"

Jip went over to the door and smelt at the bottom of it to see if any
one were listening outside. Then he came back to the Doctor on tiptoe
and whispered,

"HE KILLED A MAN!"

"Lord preserve us!" cried the Doctor, sitting down heavily in a chair
and mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. "When did he do it?"

"Fifteen years ago--in a Mexican gold-mine. That's why he has been a
hermit ever since. He shaved off his beard and kept away from people
out there on the marshes so he wouldn't be recognized. But last week, it
seems these new-fangled policemen came to Town; and they heard there was
a strange man who kept to himself all alone in a shack on the fen. And
they got suspicious. For a long time people had been hunting all over
the world for the man that did that killing in the Mexican gold-mine
fifteen years ago. So these policemen went out to the shack, and they
recognized Luke by a mole on his arm. And they took him to prison."

"Well, well!" murmured the Doctor. "Who would have thought it?--Luke,
the philosopher!--Killed a man!--I can hardly believe it."

"It's true enough--unfortunately," said Jip. "Luke did it. But it wasn't
his fault. Bob says so. And he was there and saw it all. He was scarcely
more than a puppy at the time. Bob says Luke couldn't help it. He HAD to
do it."

"Where is Bob now?" asked the Doctor.

"Down at the prison. I wanted him to come with me here to see you; but
he won't leave the prison while Luke is there. He just sits outside the
door of the prison-cell and won't move. He doesn't even eat the food
they give him. Won't you please come down there, Doctor, and see if
there is anything you can do? The trial is to be this afternoon at two
o'clock. What time is it now?"

"It's ten minutes past one."

"Bob says he thinks they are going to kill Luke for a punishment if they
can prove that he did it--or certainly keep him in prison for the rest
of his life. Won't you please come? Perhaps if you spoke to the judge
and told him what a good man Luke really is they'd let him off."

"Of course I'll come," said the Doctor getting up and moving to go. "But
I'm very much afraid that I shan't be of any real help." He turned at
the door and hesitated thoughtfully.

"And yet--I wonder--"

Then he opened the door and passed out with Jip and me close at his
heels.

THE FOURTH CHAPTER. BOB

DAB-DA