"Come along, then," said the officer, without giving the fisher-boy time to reply. "I'll see if the 'squire can't find means to make you tell what we want to know. You might as well own up at once, and save trouble! You didn't see me watching you last night, did you?"
"No I didn't," replied Sam; "an' I know you wasn't a watchin' me, 'cause if you had been, you wouldn't arrest me now. You would know that I was in bed."
The constable was trying to frighten Sam into making a confession, but he failed completely. On the way to the 'squire's office, the bully repeatedly protested his innocence; assured the officer that Bob could not point to a firmer friend in the village than he had always shown himself to be, and he even had the impudence to appeal to the fisher-boy to substantiate all he said. But Bob declined to have any thing to say to him. He was as firmly convinced of Sam's guilt as if he had seen him take the skiff; and he did not believe that a boy who could deliberately perform so mean an act ought to be noticed by any respectable person.
Sam had been arrested by the advice of Mr. Graves, to whom Bob had told his story as soon as he discovered his loss. The boat-builder, being alarmed for the safety of his money, knowing, as he did, that Bob could never raise the funds to pay off the note, unless he had a boat to earn it with, had interested himself in the case, and hired a lawyer to manage it for him.
The affair having become noised abroad by this time, the court-room was crowded, and when Sam was brought in by the constable, he had the satisfaction of seeing that he had very few friends among the spectators. Nearly every one had a kind word for the fisher-boy, while if they took any notice at all of Sam, it was only to scowl at him very savagely. Tom Newcombe was there, and he was one of the first to offer consolation and encouragement.
"Don't look so down-hearted, Bob," he whispered.
"I can't help it," replied the fisher-boy, sorrowfully. "I am utterly ruined!"
"Ruined!" repeated Tom, "I can't see it. Have you forgotten the ten dollars we sent off yesterday?"
"No; but I am almost afraid it won't amount to any thing."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Tom. "Do you suppose that if there was any chance for failure I would have invested my money in it? Let the skiff go. In a week you will be able to buy a better one."