Ay tank Ay did.
Near the scene of the murder?
Ay tank so.
You lie!
The voice that rang out was that of Fibsy, the irrepressible.
And before the coroner could remonstrate, the boy was up beside the Swede, talking to him in an earnest tone. Clem Sandstrom, he said, you are saying what you have been told to say! Aint you?
Ay tank so, returned the imperturbable Swede.
There! shouted Fibsy, triumphantly; now, wait a minute, Mr. Berg, and by the force of his own insistence Fibsy held the audience, while he pursued his own course. He drew a silver quarter from his pocket and handed it to Sandstrom. Look at that, he cried, look at it good! He snatched it back. Did you look at it good? and he shook his fist in the others face.
Yes, Ay look at it good.
All right; now tell me where the plugged hole in it was? Was it under the date, or was it over the eagle?
The Swede thought deeply.
Be careful, now! Where was it, old top? Over the eagle?
Yes. Ay tank it been over the eagle.
You tank so! Dont you know?
The heavy face brightened. Yes, Ay know! Ay know it been over the eagle.
Youre sure?
Yes, Ay bane sure.
All right, pard. You see, Mr. Coroner, and Fibsy handed the quarter over to Berg, they aint no hole in it anywhere!
Nor was there. Berg looked mystified. Whats it all about? he said, helplessly.
Why, said Fibsy, eagerly, dont you see, if that fool Swede dont know enough to see whether theres a hole in a piece o chink or not, he aint no reliable witness in a murder case!
The boy had scored. So far as the Swedes alleged recognition of Landon was evidence, it was discarded at once. Coroner Berg looked at the boy in perplexity, not realizing just how the incident of the silver quarter had come about. It was by no means his intention to allow freckle-faced office boys to interfere with his legal proceedings. He had read in a book about mal-observation and the rarity of truly remembered evidence, but he had not understood it clearly and it was only a vague idea to him. So it nettled him to have the principle put to a practical use by an impertinent urchin, who talked objectionable slang.
Judge Hoyt looked at Fibsy with growing interest. That boy had brains, he concluded, and might be more worth-while than his appearance indicated. Avice, too, took note of the bright-eyed chap, and Kane Landon, himself, smiled in open approval.
But Fibsy was in no way elated, or even conscious that he had attracted attention. He had acted on impulse; he had disbelieved the Swedes evidence, and he had sought to disprove it by a simple experiment, which worked successfully. His assertion that the Swede had been told to say that he recognized Landon, was somewhat a chance shot.
Fibsy reasoned it out, that if Sandstrom had seen Landon in the woods, he would have recognized him sooner at the inquest, or might even have told of him before his appearance. And he knew that the police now suspected Landon, and as they were eager to make an arrest, they had persuaded the Swede that he had seen the man. Sandstroms brain was slow and he had little comprehension. Whether guilty or innocent, he had come to the scene at his wifes orders, and might he not equally well have testified at the orders or hints of the police? At any rate, he had admitted that he had been told to say what he had said, and so he had been disqualified as a witness.
And yet, it all proved nothing, rather it left them with no definite proof of any sort. Fibsy ignored the stupid-looking Swede, and stared at the coroner, until that dignitary became a little embarrassed. Realizing that he had lessened his own importance to a degree, Berg strove to regain lost ground.
Good work, my boy, he said, condescendingly, and with an air of dismissing the subject. But the credibility of a witnesss story must rest with the gentlemen of the jury. I understand all about those theories of psy psychology, as they call them, but I think they are of little, if any, use in practice.
Oh, I wouldnt say that, said Judge Hoyt. I find them very interesting. Do you always see things clearly, Terence?
It isnt seeing clearly, said Fibsy, with an earnest face, its seein true. Now, fr instance, Mr. Coroner, is the number for six oclock, on your watch, a figger or a VI?
I cannot allow this childs play, and Mr. Berg looked decidedly angry.
But thats rather a good one, said Judge Hoyt. Come, now, Berg, do you know which it is?
Certainly I do, Berg snapped out. Its the Roman letters, VI.
Yessir? said Fibsy, eagerly. An are they right side up, or upside down, as you hold Twelve at the top?
Berg thought a moment. As I hold Twelve at the top, theyre upside down, of course. All the numbers have their base toward the centre of the dial.
Then the Six on your watch is VI, with the tops of the letters next the rim of the watch?
It is, said Berg, adding sneeringly, would you like to see it?
Yessir, and Fibsy darted forward.
The coroner snapped his watch open, and after a brief glance, the boy gave a quick little wag of his head, and went back to his seat without a word.
But the man flushed a fiery red, and his pompous air deserted him.
Were you right, Berg? asked Judge Hoyt. Come now, own up?
A very natural error, mumbled the coroner, and then Detective Groot pounced on him, demanding to see his watch.
Why, theres no six on it at all! he cried and then gave an uncontrollable guffaw. Theres only a round place with the second hand into it!
This tomfoolery must be stopped, began the coroner, but he had to pause in his speech until the ripple of merriment had subsided and the jury had realized afresh the seriousness of their purpose.
Hold on Berg, thats a fairly good one on a coroner, said Judge Hoyt, a little severely. Have you looked at that watch for years and didnt know there was no six on it?
I spose I have. I never thought about it.
It does show the unreliability of testimony intended to be truthful, and Hoyt spoke thoughtfully. Terence, how did you know Mr. Bergs watch had a second hand instead of the six numeral?