"Well, sir, I don't know unless you find the solution in the slightly presumptive character of my disposition." "Had you ever run before or engaged in athletic sports of any kind?" "Oh, yes, I have run before." "And engaged in athletic sports?" "Yes, sir." "Mr. Hickory, have you ever run in a race with men of well-known reputation for speed?" "Well, yes, I have." "Did you ever win in running such a race?" "Once." "No more?" "Well, then, twice." The dejection with which this last assent came forth roused the mirth of some light-hearted, feather-headed people, but the officers of the court soon put a stop to that. "Mr. Hickory, will you tell us whether on account of having twice beaten in a race requiring the qualifications of a professional runner, you considered yourself qualified to judge of the feasibility of any other man's making the distance from Mrs. Clemmens' house to Monteith Quarry Station in ninety minutes by your own ability or non-ability to do so?" "Yes, sir, I did; but a man's judgment of his own qualifications don't go very far, I've been told." "I did not ask you for any remarks, Mr. Hickory. This is a serious matter and demands serious treatment. I asked if in undertaking to make this run in ninety minutes you did not presume to judge of the feasibility of the prisoner having made it in that time, and you answered, 'Yes.' It was enough." The witness bowed with an air of great innocence. "Now," resumed the lawyer, "you say you made a run from Mrs. Clemmens' house to Monteith Quarry Station to-day. Before telling us in what time you did it, will you be kind enough to say what route you took?" "The one, sir, which has been pointed out by the prosecution as that which the prisoner undoubtedly took--the path through the woods and over the bridge to the highway. I knew no other." "Did you know _this_?" "Yes, sir." "How came you to know it?" "I had been over it before." "The whole distance?" "Yes, sir." "Mr. Hickory, were you well enough acquainted with the route not to be obliged to stop at any point during your journey to see if you were in the right path or taking the most direct road to your destination?" "Yes, sir." "And when you got to the river?" "I turned straight to the right and made for the bridge." "Did you not pause long enough to see if you could not cross the stream in some way?" "No, sir. I don't know how to swim in my clothes and keep them dry, and as for my wings, I had unfortunately left them at home." Mr. Orcutt frowned. "These attempts at humor," said he, "are very _mal a propos_, Mr. Hickory." Then, with a return to his usual tone: "Did you cross the bridge at a run?" "Yes, sir." "And did you keep up your pace when you got to the highroad?" "No, I did not." "You did not?" "No, sir." "And why, may I ask?" "I was tired." "Tired?" "Yes, sir." There was a droll demureness in the way Hickory said this which made Mr. Orcutt pause. But in another minute he went on.