Dab-Dabwasterriblyupsetwhenshefoundweweregoingawayagainwithoutluncheon;andshemadeustakesomecoldpork-piesinourpocketstoeatontheway. WhenwegottoPuddlebyCourt-house(itwasnextdoortotheprison),wefoundagreatcrowdgatheredaroundthebuilding. ThiswastheweekoftheAssizes—abusinesswhichhappenedeverythreemonths,whenmanypick-pocketsandotherbadcharactersweretriedbyaverygrandjudgewhocameallthewayfromLondon. AndanybodyinPuddlebywhohadnothingspecialtodousedtocometotheCourt-housetohearthetrials. Butto-dayitwasdifferent.Thecrowdwasnotmadeupofjustafewidlepeople.Itwasenormous. ThenewshadrunthroughthecountrysidethatLuketheHermitwastobetriedforkillingamanandthatthegreatmysterywhichhadhungoverhimsolongwastobeclearedupatlast. Thebutcherandthebakerhadclosedtheirshopsandtakenaholiday. Allthefarmersfromroundabout,andallthetownsfolk,weretherewiththeirSundayclotheson,tryingtogetseatsintheCourt-houseorgossippingoutsideinlowwhispers. TheHighStreetwassocrowdedyoucouldhardlymovealongit. Ihadneverseenthequietoldtowninsuchastateofexcitementbefore. ForPuddlebyhadnothadsuchanAssizessince1799,whenFerdinandPhipps,theRector'soldestson,hadrobbedthebank. IfIhadn'thadtheDoctorwithmeIamsureIwouldneverhavebeenabletomakemywaythroughthemobpackedaroundtheCourt-housedoor. ButIjustfollowedbehindhim,hangingontohiscoat-tails;andatlastwegotsafelyintothejail. "IwanttoseeLuke,"saidtheDoctortoaverygrandpersoninabluecoatwithbrassbuttonsstandingatthedoor. "AskattheSuperintendent'soffice,"saidtheman."Thirddoorontheleftdownthecorridor." "Whoisthatpersonyouspoketo,Doctor?"Iaskedaswewentalongthepassage. "Policemen?Theyaretokeeppeopleinorder. They'vejustbeeninvented—bySirRobertPeel. That'swhytheyarealsocalled'peelers'sometimes.Itisawonderfulagewelivein. They'realwaysthinkingofsomethingnew—ThiswillbetheSuperintendent'soffice,Isuppose." Fromthereanotherpolicemanwassentwithustoshowustheway. OutsidethedoorofLuke'scellwefoundBob,thebulldog,whowaggedhistailsadlywhenhesawus.Themanwhowasguidingustookalargebunchofkeysfromhispocketandopenedthedoor. Ihadneverbeeninsidearealprison-cellbefore;andIfeltquiteathrillwhenthepolicemanwentoutandlockedthedoorafterhim,leavingusshutinthedimly-lighted,little,stoneroom. Beforehewent,hesaidthatassoonaswehaddonetalkingwithourfriendweshouldknockuponthedoorandhewouldcomeandletusout. AtfirstIcouldhardlyseeanything,itwassodiminside. ButafteralittleImadeoutalowbedagainstthewall,underasmallbarredwindow. Onthebed,staringdownatthefloorbetweenhisfeet,sattheHermit,hisheadrestinginhishands. "Well,Luke,"saidtheDoctorinakindlyvoice,"theydon'tgiveyoumuchlightinhere,dothey?" VeryslowlytheHermitlookedupfromthefloor. "Hulloa,JohnDolittle.Whatbringsyouhere?" "I'vecometoseeyou.Iwouldhavebeenheresooner,onlyIdidn'thearaboutallthistillafewminutesago. Iwenttoyourhuttoaskyouifyouwouldjoinmeonavoyage;andwhenIfounditemptyIhadnoideawhereyoucouldbe. Iamdreadfullysorrytohearaboutyourbadluck. I'vecometoseeifthereisanythingIcando." "No,Idon'timaginethereisanythingcanbedone.They'vecaughtmeatlast.That'stheendofit,Isuppose." Hegotupstifflyandstartedwalkingupanddownthelittleroom. "InawayI'mgladit'sover,"saidhe."Inevergotanypeace,alwaysthinkingtheywereafterme—afraidtospeaktoanyone.Theywereboundtogetmeintheend—Yes,I'mgladit'sover." ThentheDoctortalkedtoLukeformorethanhalfanhour,tryingtocheerhimup;whileIsataroundwonderingwhatIoughttosayandwishingIcoulddosomething. AtlasttheDoctorsaidhewantedtoseeBob;andweknockeduponthedoorandwereletoutbythepoliceman. "Bob,"saidtheDoctortothebigbulldoginthepassage,"comeoutwithmeintotheporch.Iwanttoaskyousomething." "Howishe,Doctor?"askedBobaswewalkeddownthecorridorintotheCourt-houseporch. "Oh,Luke'sallright.Verymiserableofcourse,buthe'sallright.Nowtellme,Bob:yousawthisbusinesshappen,didn'tyou?Youweretherewhenthemanwaskilled,eh?" "Iwas,Doctor,"saidBob,"andItellyou—" "Allright,"theDoctorinterrupted,"that'sallIwanttoknowforthepresent.Thereisn'ttimetotellmemorenow.Thetrialisjustgoingtobegin. Therearethejudgeandthelawyerscomingupthesteps. Nowlisten,Bob:IwantyoutostaywithmewhenIgointothecourt-room.AndwhateverItellyoutodo,doit.Doyouunderstand?Don'tmakeanyscenes. Don'tbiteanybody,nomatterwhattheymaysayaboutLuke. JustbehaveperfectlyquietlyandansweranyquestionImayaskyou—truthfully.Doyouunderstand?" "Verywell.Butdoyouthinkyouwillbeabletogethimoff,Doctor?"askedBob."He'sagoodman,Doctor.Hereallyis.Thereneverwasabetter." "We'llsee,we'llsee,Bob.It'sanewthingI'mgoingtotry.I'mnotsurethejudgewillallowit.But—well,we'llsee. It'stimetogointothecourt-roomnow.Don'tforgetwhatItoldyou. Remember:forHeaven'ssakedon'tstartbitinganyoneoryou'llgetusallputoutandspoileverything." 
