“Two front teeth snapped off in each hare, aren’t there? Pass them up to their Worships, constable, and let them see for themselves.”
“It certainly looks as if the two incisors had been snapped sharply off,” said the Chairman. “In each hare, too, most extraordinary.”
“Yes, a strange coincidence,” agreed Mr. Blackburn. “How do you account for it?” he asked suddenly of the gamekeeper.
“It’s none o’ my business,” said Tom surlily. “Aw didn’t come here to be badgered abaat teeth. Aw come here to tell a plain tale, an’ aw done so, an’ yo’ may tak’ it or leave it as yo’ like.”
“Pre-cisely, a plain, unvarnished tale. Just, no doubt, the same plain, unvarnished tale your father, your venerable and most respectable father, will tell. Oh, you needn’t look round the Court for him. He’s in the lobby out of earshot. But about those snapped incisors now. Surely you’ve a theory?”
“Not I”
“Perhaps the animals were mother and daughter, and snapped incisors run in the family,” suggested Mr. Blackburn.
But Tom was in no mood to appreciate a jest. On the contrary, he looked very ill at ease, and, though the day was none of the warmest, wiped the sweat from his flushed and heated brow with the back of his huge hand.
“I’ll bet I could tell what Tom ’ud like better nor a pint o’ ale just nah,” whispered Jim to me.
“What?” I asked.