"Thinking, I was safer in a crowd, than anywhere else, I put for down town, and I mixed in with the folks in front of Israel Yorke's banking-house, and as they were hollering, why I hollered too. They wanted to pitch into him,--so did I. Lord! didn't they holler! And a gen'elman, seein' I was so airnest, told me about a private party, who were about to foller up Isr'el, to this house. One o' their gang, he said, was sick,--he axed me to jine 'em,--and swore me in as one of your perleese,--and I jined 'em." "What is your name?" cried the judge, sternly. "In the place where I was last, they called me Ninety-One," answered the old convict, arranging the high collar about his face,--"Years ago, when I was an honest man, afore a man in a cloak, on a dark night, left a baby with me and my wife, I was called,----" He paused, and passed his brawny hand over his eyes. The judge started up from his seat.-- "Yes, yes, you were called,--" he exclaimed. "John Hoffman," replied the convict. The judge sank back in his chair, and his head dropped upon his breast. It was sometime before he spoke,-- "I have heard of your story before," he said, in a tremulous voice. "And now answer me one question," he continued in a firmer voice.--"Did you commit the murder for which you were arrested?" "I can't expect you to believe an old cuss like me, but I certainly did _not_," responded Ninety-One. "How came you in the room next to the one in which the murdered man was found?" "I was took there by _a friend_, who offered to hide me from the folks who were arter me, about Israel's valise." The judge seemed buried in thought. "And after the murder was discovered, and you were arrested and pinioned, the same _friend_ appeared once more, and aided your escape?" "It was a friend," dryly responded Ninety-One,--"can't say what he looked like, as the room was as black as your hat, (purviden you don't wear a white hat)." "Did you commit the robbery on the railroad cars, last night?" "I'll be straight up and down with you, boss," said Ninety-One,--"I did _not_,--and nobody didn't. The money was found on the track, after the smashin' up o' the cars." "Do you imagine the _friend_, who hid you away in the house of old Mr. Somers, intended to implicate you in the murder of his son?" "That's jist one o' th' p'ints I'd like to settle;" Ninety-One uttered a low deep laugh, "if he did, I wouldn't give three tosses of a bad copper for his windpipe." "As the case stands now, you labor under the double suspicion of robbery and murder. Now mark me,--if you are innocent, I will defend you. In the course of the day, I will have some future talk with you. For the present, your disguise will avoid suspicion for a day or two. You will go with Israel Yorke, and report all his movements to me. My name and residence you will find on the card near the candlestick. One question more--there was a boy with you,--" The voice of the judge again grew tremulous.