Thetrialwentswiftlyforwardafterthat. Mr.JenkynstoldtheDoctortoaskBobwhathesawonthe"nightofthe29th;"andwhenBobhadtoldallheknewandtheDoctorhadturneditintoEnglishforthejudgeandthejury,thiswaswhathehadtosay: "Onthenightofthe29thofNovember,1824,Iwaswithmymaster,LukeFitzjohn(otherwiseknownasLuketheHermit)andhistwopartners,ManuelMendozaandWilliamBoggs(otherwiseknownasBluebeardBill)ontheirgold-mineinMexico. Foralongtimethesethreemenhadbeenhuntingforgold;andtheyhaddugadeepholeintheground. Onthemorningofthe29thgoldwasdiscovered,lotsofit,atthebottomofthishole. Andallthree,mymasterandhistwopartners,wereveryhappyaboutitbecausenowtheywouldberich. ButManuelMendozaaskedBluebeardBilltogoforawalkwithhim. ThesetwomenIhadalwayssuspectedofbeingbad. SowhenInoticedthattheyleftmymasterbehind,Ifollowedthemsecretlytoseewhattheywereupto. AndinadeepcaveinthemountainsIheardthemarrangetogethertokillLuketheHermitsothattheyshouldgetallthegoldandhehavenone." Atthispointthejudgeasked,"WhereisthewitnessMendoza?Constable,seethathedoesnotleavethecourt." ButthewickedlittlemanwiththewateryeyeshadalreadysneakedoutwhennoonewaslookingandhewasneverseeninPuddlebyagain. "Then,"Bob'sstatementwenton,"Iwenttomymasterandtriedveryhardtomakehimunderstandthathispartnersweredangerousmen.Butitwasnouse.Hedidnotunderstanddoglanguage. SoIdidthenextbestthing:Ineverlethimoutofmysightbutstayedwithhimeverymomentofthedayandnight. "Nowtheholethattheyhadmadewassodeepthattogetdownandupityouhadtogoinabigbuckettiedontheendofarope;andthethreemenusedtohauloneanotherupandletoneanotherdownthemineinthisway. Thatwashowthegoldwasbroughtuptoo—inthebucket. Well,aboutseveno'clockintheeveningmymasterwasstandingatthetopofthemine,haulingupBluebeardBillwhowasinthebucket. JustashehadgotBillhalfwayupIsawMendozacomeoutofthehutwherewealllived. MendozathoughtthatBillwasawaybuyinggroceries.Buthewasn't:hewasinthebucket. AndwhenMendozasawLukehaulingandstrainingontheropehethoughthewaspullingupabucketfulofgold. SohedrewapistolfromhispocketandcamesneakingupbehindLuketoshoothim. "Ibarkedandbarkedtowarnmymasterofthedangerhewasin;buthewassobusyhaulingupBill(whowasaheavyfatman)thathetooknonoticeofme. IsawthatifIdidn'tdosomethingquickhewouldsurelybeshot. SoIdidathingI'veneverdonebefore:suddenlyandsavagelyIbitmymasterinthelegfrombehind. LukewassohurtandstartledthathedidjustwhatIwantedhimtodo:heletgotheropewithbothhandsatonceandturnedround.Andthen,CRASH! downwentBillinhisbuckettothebottomofthemineandhewaskilled. "WhilemymasterwasbusyscoldingmeMendozaputhispistolinhispocket,cameupwithasmileonhisfaceandlookeddownthemine. "'Why,GoodGracious'!"saidhetoLuke,'You'vekilledBluebeardBill. Imustgoandtellthepolice'—hoping,yousee,togetthewholeminetohimselfwhenLukeshouldbeputinprison. Thenhejumpedonhishorseandgallopedaway." "Andsoonmymastergrewafraid;forhesawthatifMendozaonlytoldenoughliestothepolice,itWOULDlookasthoughhehadkilledBillonpurpose. SowhileMendozawasgoneheandIstoleawaytogethersecretlyandcametoEngland. Hereheshavedoffhisbeardandbecameahermit. Andeversince,forfifteenyears,we'veremainedinhiding.ThisisallIhavetosay. AndIswearitisthetruth,everyword." WhentheDoctorfinishedreadingBob'slongspeechtheexcitementamongthetwelvemenofthejurywaspositivelyterrific. One,averyoldmanwithwhitehair,begantoweepinaloudvoiceatthethoughtofpoorLukehidingonthefenforfifteenyearsforsomethinghecouldn'thelp. Andalltheotherssettowhisperingandnoddingtheirheadstooneanother. InthemiddleofallthisupgotthathorribleProsecutoragain,wavinghisarmsmorewildlythanever. "YourHonor,"hecried,"Imustobjecttothisevidenceasbiased.Ofcoursethedogwouldnottellthetruthagainsthisownmaster.Iobject.Iprotest." "Verywell,"saidthejudge,"youareatlibertytocross-examine.ItisyourdutyasProsecutortoprovehisevidenceuntrue.Thereisthedog:questionhim,ifyoudonotbelievewhathesays." Ithoughtthelong-nosedlawyerwouldhaveafit. Helookedfirstatthedog,thenattheDoctor,thenatthejudge,thenbackatthedogscowlingfromthewitness-box. Heopenedhismouthtosaysomething;butnowordscame.Hewavedhisarmssomemore.Hisfacegotredderandredder. Atlast,clutchinghisforehead,hesankweaklyintohisseatandhadtobehelpedoutofthecourt-roombytwofriends. Ashewashalfcarriedthroughthedoorhewasstillfeeblymurmuring,"Iprotest—Iobject—Iprotest!" 
