"Ah'll be there, me!" cried Pete, in indignant alarm. "No, seh! M'sieu' Edwards say dat? Respectable mans lak M'sieu' Edwards! It was shame for lie so. No, seh! Ah go home t'rough de horchard. Mebbe Ah'll go leetly ways off de path of it,—mebbe for peek up apple off'n de groun' what no one ain't want for rot of it,—Ah'll don't remembler. But I ain't go for hide in de bush! Ah'll be honest mans, me. Ah'll go for walk where all mans can see, ain't it? What Ah'll go hide for, me?"
Paige drew a square on Mr. Peaslee's side of the fence, directly opposite the bushes.
"That," said he, "is Mr. Peaslee's hen-house," and he brushed the chalk from his fingers with an air of indifference.
"So-o?" cried Pete, with an air of pleased surprise. "M'sieu' Peaslee he'll got hen-rouse? First tam Ah'll was heard of it, me. Fine t'ing for have hen-rouse, fine t'ing for M'sieu' Peaslee. Ah'll t'ink heem for be lucky, M'sieu' Peaslee. But Ah'll ain't know it. Ah'll ain't see nossin' of it, no, seh!" and Pete smiled innocently round at the enigmatic faces of the jurymen.
"Mr. Lamoury," said Paige, with a very casual air, "behind those bushes is a broken board."
"So-o?" said Pete.
"Any one who was there had an excellent chance to study the fastenings of Mr. Peaslee's hen-house door."
"Mais, Ah'll was tol' you Ah'll not be dere, me!" cried Pete, alarmed and excited.
"That," said Mr. Paige, calmly, "is the only place where you could be and get shot from the boy's window. Either you were there or you weren't shot. Besides, Mr. Edwards found your foot-prints."
Pete shrunk his head into his shoulders and glared questioningly at the state's attorney. The examination was not going to his liking.