Part 130 (1/2)
”Proceed, Mr Stump!” says he of San Antonio, entrusted with the direct examination.
”Wal, what I'm goin' to say now haint so much to do wi' the prisoner at the bar, as wi' a man thet in my opeenyun oughter be stannin' in his place. I won't say who thet man air. I'll tell ye what I know, an hev foun' out, an then you o' the jury may reckon it up for yurselves.”
The old hunter makes pause, drawing a long breath--as if to prepare himself for a full spell of confession.
No one attempts either to interrupt or urge him on. There is an impression that he can unravel the mystery of the murder. That of the Headless Horseman no longer needs unravelling.
”Wal, fellur citizens!” continues Zeb, a.s.suming a changed style of apostrophe, ”arter what I heerd, an more especially what I seed, I knowd that poor young Peint wur gone under--struck down in his tracks--wiped out o' the world.
”I knowd equally well thet he who did the cowardly deed wan't, an kedn't be, the mowstanger--Maurice Gerald.
”Who war it, then? Thet war the questyun thet bamboozled me, as it's done the rest o' ye--them as haint made up thur minds 'ithout reflekshun.
”Wal; thinkin' as I did that the Irish wur innocent, I bekim detarmined to diskiver the truth. I ain't goin' to say thet appearances wan't agin him. They wur dog-gonedly agin him.
”For all thet, I wan't goin' to rely on them; an so I tuk purayra to hev a squint at the sign.
”I knowd thur must be hoss-tracks leadin' to the place, an hoss tracks goin' from it; an d.a.m.n 'em! thur wur too many o' 'em, goin' everywhur-- else the thing mout a been eezy enough.
”But thar wur one partickler set I'd got a _down_ upon; an them I detarmined to foller up to the eend o' creashun.
”They war the footmarks o' an Amerikin hoss, hevin' three shoes to the good, an a fourth wi' a bit broken off the eend o' it. This hyur's the eyedentikul piece o' iron!”
The witness draws his hand from the pocket of his blanket coat, in which it has been some time buried. In the fingers are seen the shoe of a horse, only three quarters complete.
He holds it on high--enough for judge, jury, and spectators to see what it is.
”Now, Mr Judge,” he continues, ”an' you o' the jury, the hoss that carried this shoe went acrosst the purayra the same night thet the murder war committed. He went arter the man thet air murdered, as well as him thet stans thar accused o' it. He went right upon the track o'
both, an stopped short o' the place whur the crime wur committed.
”But the man that rud him didn't stop short. He kep on till he war clost up to the b.l.o.o.d.y spot; an it war through him it arterwards bekim b.l.o.o.d.y. It war the third hoss--him wi' the broken shoe--thet carried the murderer!”
”Go on, Mr Stump!” directs the judge. ”Explain what you mean by this extraordinary statement.”
”What I mean, judge, air jest this. The man I'm speakin' o' tuk stan'
in the thicket, from which stan' he fired the shet thet killed poor young Peintdexter.”
”What man? Who was it? His name! Give his name!” simultaneously interrogate twenty voices.
”I reckon yu'll find it thar.”
”Where?”
”Whar! In thet thur body as sits 'ithout a head, lookin' dumbly down on ye!
”Ye kin all see,” continues the witness, pointing to the silent shape, ”ye kin all see a red patch on the breast o' the striped blanket.
Thur's a hole in the centre o' it. Ahint that hole I reck'n thur'll be another, in the young fellur's karkidge. Thar don't appear any to match it at the back. Thurfor I konklude, thet the bullet as did his bizness air still inside o' him. S'posin' we strip off his duds, an see!”
There is a tacit consent to this proposition of the witness. Two or three of the spectators--Sam Manly one of them--step forward; and with due solemnity proceed to remove the serape.