"I'm not the only one in the place! There's more fools here besides me, and some of them bigger ones as well!"
While these compliments were being exchanged, the higher officials sat mutely looking on. When the chief warder seemed at a loss for an answer, the chaplain volunteered a remark. He addressed himself to Warder Slater.
"It's my opinion that the governor's a bigger fool than you are, and that the inspector's a still bigger fool than he is."
"And it's my belief, Mr. Hewett," observed the doctor, "that you're the biggest fool of all."
"It would serve him right," remarked the governor, quietly, "if somebody were to knock him down."
"Knock him down! I should think it would--and kick him too!"
As he said this the Major glared at the chaplain with threatening eyes.
There was silence again, broken by Warder Slater taking off his cap and then his tunic, which he folded up carefully and placed upon the floor, and turning his shirt-sleeves up above his elbows, revealing as he did so a pair of really gigantic arms.
"If any man says I let them men out of the cells, I'm ready to fight that man, either for a gallon of beer or nothing. I don't care if it's the inspector, or who it is."
"I suspect," declared the chaplain, "that the inspector's too great a coward to take you on, but if he does I'm willing to back Slater for half-a-crown. I am even prepared to second him."