“De jedge, he sent me down ter see yo’, suh,� Juniper explained, twisting his battered hat as usual. “I’se in a po’erful lot ob trouble an’ so ez de ole woman.�
Caleb moved a little impatiently. “The silver teapot?� he asked dryly.
“No,� said Juniper, without embarrassment, “no, suh; de folks up ter de Corners ez gwine ter hab Lysander ’rested. I reckon dey hez had him ’rested a’ready. Dey says he dun stole der chickens on Monday. Et wuz de dark ob de moon, suh, an’ dat make it seem ez if dey got er case. De jedge, he tole me ter come ter yo’.�
Caleb felt that Judge Hollis was enjoying his first case. He almost heard the shouts of Homeric laughter from that inner office. “You’ll have to prove that he didn’t steal the chickens,� he said. “In the first place, who are the people?�
“Mr. Todd’s folks,� Juniper replied, “an’ dey ses et wuz two pullets an’ er cockerel.�
Trench knew where Aaron Todd lived and recalled, less vividly, the presence of a large chicken-yard. “How do they suppose he could have carried them off undiscovered, even at night?� Caleb argued. “If I remember where the chicken-yard is, you could hear a commotion among the fowls at any time, particularly at night. It will be a simple matter, Juniper, when we prove an alibi.�
Juniper rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. “Dat’s so, suh,� he replied; “I ’low dat I don’ wanter pay his fine, an’ Charity, she don’; she sho’ won’t pay et bekase she say I oughter, an’ ef Lysander goes up fo’ sixty days an’ works on de roads, he ain’t gwine ter do anodder stroke all de year; dat’s Lysander; I knows ’im.�
“What time do they say the chickens were stolen?�
“Monday mawnin’, ’bout two o’clock.� Uncle Juniper rubbed his sleeve thoughtfully across his forehead.
“Then we must prove an alibi,� said Caleb, swinging around in his chair to view his client more directly. “The point is clear; where was Lysander at two o’clock Monday morning?�