At this moment Major Welch, who had been holding the bond in his hand and had studied it carefully, leaned forward and held it out to the negro.
Still, with a gasp, made a grab for Leech, and Leech reached for the paper; but Major Welch put him aside without even looking at him.
“Did you ever see that paper before?” he asked Doan. Doan’s face lit up, and he gave an ejaculation of surprise and pleasure.
“Yas, suh, dat’s de very paper I’se talkin’ ’bout.” He took it and held it triumphantly, turning it so it could be seen. “Dyah’s Marse Rupert’s little toe-marks ’pon hit now, jes’ like I tell you.” And as the paper was viewed, there, without doubt, were the prints—incontestably the marks of five little toes, as the exclamation of the spectators certified. Doan was delighted at his justification. “I knowed he teck it out, cuz I see him when he cut de string up dyah an’ put it in he pocket, an’ I see de string when I put it back,” he said, confidentially, to the crowd. “I see him, an’ Unc’ Tarquin see him too, cuz he had jes come over to see ’bout Marse Jack; an he ax me afterwards what Mr. Still wuz doin’ in de hole up dyah rummagin’ papers.”
STILL SPRUNG TO HIS FEET IN UNCONTROLLABLE AGITATION, HIS FACE LIVID.
“That’s so!” exclaimed a deep voice back in the crowd. “I saw him in the hole, and I saw him take some papers out and put them in his pocket.” It was old Tarquin, standing still and solemn in the front row of the negroes behind the bar.
The Judge roared for silence, and Leech rose and renewed his motion. He denounced the whole story as nonsensical and absurd.
Steve Allen started to contest the motion; but the Judge sustained it, and ruled out Doan’s testimony, to which Steve excepted. Then Leech calmly offered the bond in evidence, and announced that they were through and wanted no argument.