"In the Massachusetts State Prison, serving out a twelve years' sentence for forgery and theft."
Budd sunk back in his chair sick at heart, and almost in despair. The mischief had been done, and the crowd knew the dread secret he had so long hid within his own bosom. He felt for a moment that he would have been glad to have had the prison-walls close around him, too, shutting him from the gaze of all eyes.
Nor was the answer lost in its influence on the Justice.
"I think," he said, slowly, "that anything that throws light on the prisoner's previous life or training will be in order here. It will help the Court to decide whether he would have been likely to commit the crime with which he is charged;" and the man tried to conceal the curiosity which was already beaming from his face.
Without further interruption Mr. Johnson told his side of the story, with which the reader is already familiar, and left the stand, having given Justice and audience alike the impression that Mr. Boyd was a most hardened criminal, and that the son was already following in his father's footsteps.
His hired man then took the stand, and corroborated his employer's testimony respecting the burglary and the capture of the prisoner. Then the prosecution rested its case.
While Mr. Johnson was telling about Budd's father the lad sat with head bowed, and appeared to no longer care what became of himself; but just before the hired man finished his testimony Judd leaned over and whispered in his comrade's ear:
"For your father's sake, make a defense."
He could not have whispered more effective words. Budd at once raised his head and proudly faced the Court, and when the prosecution had done he rose quickly to his feet.
"The charge with which I am accused," he said, taking the paper up, "reads that I entered Mr. Johnson's house some time between April 1st and yesterday, June 20th. It does not specify any charge for yesterday at all, as I forced no entrance into the house, nor took anything away. I shall, then, prove to this Court that previous to yesterday I had never been upon Hope Island. I will also tell why I went there."