t now was irrelevant, but
I tell you, Squire, I know a sheep-killin' dawg, and jes' as I know
Jack AIN'T, I know the Dillon dawg naturely is, and I tell you, if the
Dillons' dawg killed that sheep and they could put it on Jack--they'd
do it. They'd do it--Squire, an' I tell you, you--ortern't--to
let--that sheriff--thar--shoot my--dog--until the Dillons answers what
I axed--" the boy's passionate cry rang against the green walls and out
the opening and across the river--

"WHAR'S WHIZZER?"

The boy startled the crowd and the old Squire himself, who turned
quickly to the Dillons.

"Well, whar is Whizzer?"

Nobody answered.

"He ain't been seen, Squire, sence the evenin' afore the night o' the
killin'!" Chad's statement seemed to be true. Not a voice contradicted.

"An' I want to know if Daws seed signs o' killin' on Jack's head when
he jumped the fence, why them same signs didn't show when he got home."

Poor Chad! Here old Tad Dillon raised his hand.

"Axe the Turners, Squire," he said, and as the school-master on the
outskirts shrank, as though he meant to leave the crowd, the old man's
quick eye caught the movement and he added:

"Axe the school-teacher!"

Every eye turned with the Squire's to the master, whose face was
strangely serious straightway.

"Did you see any signs on the dawg when he got home?" The gaunt man
hesitated, with one swift glance at the boy, who almost paled in answer.

"Why," said the school-master, and again he hesitated, but old Joel, in
a voice that was without hope, encouraged him:

"Go on!"

"What was they?"

"Jack had blood on his muzzle, and a little strand o' wool behind one
ear."

There was no hope against that testimony. Melissa broke away from her
mother and ran out to the road--weeping. Chad dropped with a sob to his
bench and put his arms around the dog: then he rose up and walked out
the opening while Jack leaped against his leash to follow. The
school-master put out his hand to stop him, but the boy struck it aside
without looking up and went on. He could not stay to see Jack
condemned. He knew what the verdict would be, and in twenty minutes the
jury gave it, without leaving their seats.

"Guilty!"

The Sheriff came forward. He knew Jack and Jack knew him, and wagged
his tail and whimpered up at him when he took the leash.

"Well, by ----, this is a job I don't like, an' I'm damned ef I'm
agoin' to shoot this dawg afore he knows what I'm shootin' him fer