George Pollock turned to him with sudden relief.
"Well, you know about such things. What am I to do?"
"There are only two courses that I can see," answered Bob, after reflection, "outside the one you're following now. You can give yourself up to the authorities and plead guilty. There's a chance that mitigating circumstances will influence the judge to give you a light sentence; and there's always a possibility of a pardon. When all the details are made known there ought to be a good show for getting off easy."
"What's the other?" demanded Pollock, who had listened with the closest attention.
"The other is simply to go back home."
"They'd arrest me."
"Let them," said Bob. "Plead not guilty, and take your chances on the trial. Their evidence is circumstantial; you don't have to incriminate yourself; I doubt if a jury would agree on convicting you. Have you ever talked with anybody about—about that morning?"
"About me killing Plant?" supplied Pollock tranquilly. "No. A man don't ask about those things."
"Not even to Jim?"
"No. We just sort of took all that for granted."