The court having been duly sworn, and the charges read aloud by the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General, the prisoners were called upon to plead. Both of them wished to plead guilty, and said so in a low tone to the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General, who in an equally low tone of voice, said—
"No, don't do that; say 'Not guilty.'"
"But look here, my dear fellow," said one of the prisoners to that functionary, who was the prosecutor on the occasion; "what's the use of denying it? We did make two fools of ourselves."
"Yes; what's the use of wasting time?" said the other prisoner.
"If we plead guilty, there's an end of it, and the court can sentence us at once, and send the papers up to Simlah by to-night's post. I am sick of that cursed bungalow of mine, and want to have a change of air."
"Well, do as you like," said the Deputy-Judge-Advocate. "But my advice is that you plead Not guilty, and then in your defence you can put forth whatever you please in extenuation, and mitigation of the punishment."
"But here we are brought up for calling each other liars in a moment of passion, and if we say we did not call each other liars, we are liars."
"And what is more, we are liars in cold blood," urged one of the prisoners.
"Will you admit that you were drunk?" said the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General.
"No," they both called out. "We were not strictly sober, perhaps. But where is it about being drunk? We didn't see that in the charge."