"Well, you know about such things. What am I to do?"
"There are only two courses that I can see," answered Bob, after
reflection, "outside the one you're following now. You can give yourself
up to the authorities and plead guilty. There's a chance that mitigating
circumstances will influence the judge to give you a light sentence; and
there's always a possibility of a pardon. When all the details are made
known there ought to be a good show for getting off easy."
"What's the other?" demanded Pollock, who had listened with the closest
attention.
"The other is simply to go back home."
"They'd arrest me."
"Let them," said Bob. "Plead not guilty, and take your chances on the
trial. Their evidence is circumstantial; you don't have to incriminate
yourself; I doubt if a jury would agree on convicting you. Have you ever
talked with anybody about--about that morning?"
"About me killing Plant?" supplied Pollock tranquilly. "No. A man don't
ask about those things."
"Not even to Jim?"
"No. We just sort of took all that for granted."
"Well, that would be all right. Then if they're called on the stand,
they can tell nothing.
Pages:
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671