“Yes, indeed, Jacob,” said his master; “and we mustn’t be too hard upon him. He did wrong, no doubt, and he has made the best amends he could. If he had been a thorough rogue, he never would have cared to seek me out and return me my money with large interest. And, what’s more, he’s coming over to England in the same ship with us; not as my servant, but paying his own passage, just for the sake of being near me. That doesn’t look like a thoroughly guilty conscience.”
“Coming home in the same vessel with us!” cried Jacob, in utter astonishment and dismay. “Coming home in the same vessel!”
“Yes, Mr Poole,” said Juniper, stepping forward, and speaking with an air of loftiness and injured innocence; “and, pray, why not coming home in the same vessel? What have you to say against it, I should like to know? Am I to ask your leave in what ship I shall cross the brawny deep? Have you a conclusive right to the company of our master?—for he is mine as well as yours till he himself banishes me irresolutely from his presence.”
“You shall not sail in the same vessel with us, if I can hinder it, as sure as my name’s Jacob Poole,” said the other.
“And how can you hinder it, Mr Poole, I should like you to tell me? I ask nobody’s favour. I’ve paid my passage-money. I suppose my brass, as you wulgarly call it, is as good as any other man’s.”
“Well,” said Jacob, “I’ll just tell you what it is. You’ll have to clear up another matter afore you can start for England. You’ll have to tell the magistrate how it was as you crept into my tent at the diggings, and tried to stick your knife into me. What do you say to that, Mr Juniper Graves?”
Just the very slightest tremor passed through Juniper’s limbs, and the faintest tinge of paleness came over his countenance at this question, but he was himself again in a moment.
“Really,” he exclaimed, “it’s enough to throw a man off his balance, and deprive him of his jurisprudence, to have such shocking charges brought against him. But I should like, sir, to ask this Mr Poole a question or two, as he’s so ready to accuse me of all sorts of crimes; he don’t suppose that I’m going to take him for judge, jury, and witnesses, without having a little shifting of the evidence.”
“Well, of course, it’s only fair that you should ask him for proof;” said Frank.
“Come, then, Mr Poole,” said Juniper, in a fierce swaggering tone, “just tell me how you can prove that I ever tried to murder you? Pooh! it’s easy enough to talk about tents; and knives, and such things, but how can you prove it that I ever tried to murder you? a likely thing, indeed.”