“Well, sir,” said the foreman, “this is singular conduct. What do you propose to do?”
Silence.
“I suppose you realize that the rest of us are pretty rapidly forming a conclusion on this matter,” said the foreman.
“Come! come!” said Mr. Eldridge; “don't be quite so hard on him, Captain. Now, Mr. Smith,” he said, standing up with his hands in his coat-pockets and looking at Eli, “we know that there often is crooked sticks on juries, that hold out alone—that's to be expected; but they always argue, and stand to it the rest are fools, and all that. Now, all is, we don't see why you don't sort of argue, if you 've got reasons satisfactory to you. Come, now,” he added, walking up to Eli, and resting one foot on the seat of his chair, “why don't you tell it over? and if we 're wrong, I 'm ready to join you.”
Eli looked up at him.
“Did n't you ever know,” he said, “of a man's takin' a cat off, to lose, that his little girl did n't want drownded, and leavin' him ashore, twenty or thirty miles, bee-line, from home, and that cat's bein' back again the next day, purrin' 'round 's if nothin' had happened?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Eldridge—“knew of just such a case.”
“Very well,” said Eli; “how does he find his way home?”
“Don't know,” said Mr. Eldridge; “always has been a standing mystery to me.”
“Well,” said Eli, “mark my words. There's such a thing as arguin', and there 's such a thing as knowin' outright; and when you 'll tell me how that cat inquires his way home, I '11 tell you how I know John Wood ain't guilty.”