He showed the soles of his boots, and the Professors were obliged to admit that the tracks were his.  He cautioned them as to the rest of the points on which they relied.  Might they not be as mistaken, as they had just proved to be about the tracks?  He could not, however, stir them from sticking to it that there was enough evidence to prove my father to be a foreign devil, and declaring their readiness to depose to the facts on oath.  In the end Hanky again fiercely accused him of trying to shield the prisoner.

“You are quite right,” said George, “and you will see my reasons shortly.”

“I have no doubt,” said Hanky significantly, “that they are such as would weigh with any man of ordinary feeling.”

“I understand, then,” said George, appearing to take no notice of Hanky’s innuendo, “that you will swear to the facts as you have above stated them?”

“Certainly.”

“Then kindly wait while I write them on the form that I have brought with me; the Mayor can administer the oath and sign your depositions.  I shall then be able to leave you, and proceed with getting up the case against the prisoner.”

So saying, he went to a writing-table in another part of the room, and made out the depositions.

Meanwhile the Mayor, Mrs. Humdrum, and Dr. Downie (who had each of them more than once vainly tried to take part in the above discussion) conversed eagerly in an undertone among themselves.  Hanky was blind with rage, for he had a sense that he was going to be outwitted; the Mayor, Yram, and Mrs. Humdrum had already seen that George thought he had all the trumps in his own hand, but they did not know more.  Dr. Downie was frightened, and Panky so muddled as to be hors de combat.

George now rejoined the Professors, and read the depositions:  the Mayor administered the oath according to Erewhonian custom; the Professors signed without a word, and George then handed the document to his father to countersign.

The Mayor examined it, and almost immediately said, “My dear George, you have made a mistake; these depositions are on a form reserved for deponents who are on the point of death.”

“Alas!” answered George, “there is no help for it.  I did my utmost to prevent their signing.  I knew that those depositions were their own death warrant,—­and that is why, though I was satisfied that the prisoner is a foreign devil, I had hoped to be able to shut my eyes.  I can now no longer do so, and as the inevitable consequence, I must Blue-Pool both the Professors before midnight.  What man of ordinary feeling would not under these circumstances have tried to dissuade them from deposing as they have done?”

By this time the Professors had started to their feet, and there was a look of horrified astonishment on the faces of all present, save that of George, who seemed quite happy.

“What monstrous absurdity is this?” shouted Hanky; “do you mean to murder us?”