Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
"Yes," replied Colby, who had accompanied them; "there is nothing more to
be done for him at present. From the judge's order there is no appeal,
in such a case. Mr. Jones must go to Vienna for trial; but there he may
secure an acquittal."
"He is very brave, I think," said Patsy. "This affair must have hurt his
pride, but he smiles through it all. In his condition of health, the
confinement and humiliation may well shorten his life, yet he has made
no murmur."
"He's good stuff, that boy," commented Uncle John. "Perhaps it is due to
that John Paul blood his father was so proud of."
When Arthur went into the lobby a little later he found Le Drieux seated
comfortably and smoking a long cigar. The pearl expert nodded to the
young ranchman with so much evident satisfaction that Arthur could not
resist engaging him in conversation.
"Well, you won," he remarked, taking a vacant chair beside Le Drieux.
"Yes, of course," was the reply; "but I'll admit that fellow Andrews is a
smooth one. Why, at one time he had even me puzzled with his alibis and
his evidence. That flash of the pearls was the cleverest trick I ever
heard of; but it didn't go, I'd warned the judge to look out for a scoop.
He knew he was dealing with one of the most slippery rogues in
captivity."
"See here, Le Drieux," said Arthur; "let us be honest with one another,
now that the thing is settled and diplomacy is uncalled for. Do you
really believe that Jones is Jack Andrews?"
"Me? I know it, Mr. Weldon. I don't pose as a detective, but I'm
considered to have a shrewd insight into human character, and from the
first moment I set eyes on him I was positive that Jones was the famous
Jack Andrews. I can understand how you people, generous and trusting,
have been deceived in the fellow; I admire the grit you've all shown in
standing by him to the last. I haven't a particle of malice toward any
one of you, I assure you--not even toward Andrews himself."
"Then why have you bounded him so persistently?"
"For two reasons.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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