“Me and you’ll have to fix up what I got to say, boss!” he added with a cunning grin.

“Do you mean you wish to make a statement to me?” asked the judge.

The handy-man nodded.  The judge hesitated.

“Perhaps we would better send for Mr. Moxlow?” he suggested.

But Montgomery shook his head vehemently.

“I got nothin’ to say to that man Moxlow!” he growled with sullen determination.

“Very well, then, if you prefer to make your statement to me,” and the judge turned to his desk.

“Hold on, boss, we ain’t ready for that just yet!” Joe objected.  He was sober enough, by this time.

“What is it you wish to tell me?”

And the judge resumed his former position on the hearth-rug.

“First you got to agree to get me out of this.”

“I can agree to nothing,” answered the judge quietly.

“I ain’t smart, boss, but Joe Montgomery’s old hide means a whole lot to Joe Montgomery!  You give me your word that I’ll be safe, no matter what happens!”

“I can promise you nothing,” repeated the judge.

“Then what’s the use of my tellin’ you the truth?” demanded Montgomery.

“It has become the part of wisdom, since you have already admitted that you have perjured yourself.”

“Boss, if it wasn’t John North I seen in the alley that day, who was it?” and he strode close to the judge’s side, dropping his voice to a whisper.

“Perhaps the whole story was a lie.”

The handy-man laughed and drew himself up aggressively.

“I’m a man as can do damage—­I got to be treated right, or by the Lord I’ll do damage!  I been badgered and hounded by Marsh and Andy Gilmore till I’m fair crazy.  They got to take their hands off me and leave me loose, for I won’t hang no man on their say-so!  John North never done me no harm, I got nothing agin him!”

“You have admitted that your whole story of seeing John North on the night of the McBride murder is a lie,” said the judge.

“Boss, there is truth enough in it to hang a man!”

“You saw a man cross McBride’s sheds?”

And the judge kept his eyes fastened on the handy-man’s face.

“I seen a man cross McBride’s shed, boss.”

“And you have sworn that that man was John North.”

“I swore to a lie.  Boss, we got to fix it this way:  I seen a man come over the roof and drop into the alley; I swore it was John North, but I never meant to swear to that; the most I promised Andy was that I’d say I thought it looked like John North, but them infernal lawyers got after me, and the first thing I knowed I’d said it was John North!”

“Your story is absurd!” exclaimed the judge, with a show of anger.

The handy-man raised his right hand dramatically.

“It’s God A’mighty’s everlastin’ truth!” he swore.

“Understand, I have made you no promises,” said the judge, disregarding him.