The president rose to his feet; the court room became so still that the heavy breathing of O’Neil and his prisoner, from their recent exertions to arrive in time, was plainly audible above all other sounds.
“The case is still in the hands of the defense,” the president announced. “I shall administer the oath to the witness.”
O’Neil withdrew quietly, leaving Craig within the courtroom.
“Were you on a hill called La Mesa near the city of La Boca on the day of the assault by the insurgents?” the judge advocate asked the witness after he had been directed to take the stand by the president.
Craig looked at Sydney nervously then he answered in a trembling voice:
“No, sir.”
The judge advocate jumped to his feet.
“I object to this witness,” he cried loudly; “he can know nothing of the charges.”
The president glanced at the faces of his colleagues. They nodded their approval.
“The objection is sustained,” he was on the point of saying when he caught sight of Sydney’s anxious face. The latter had sprung from his chair and was endeavoring to catch the president’s eye before the fatal words were uttered.