Read The Wind on the Moon for Free Online Page B

court eating sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs and drinking tea out of thermos flasks, stood up when it was finished, and applauded vigorously. Some of them even shouted ‘Encore!’
    And Mr. Jobson, looking very pleased with himself, also stood up, and bowed several times, and handed round a lot of visiting-cards on which was printed:

    But the Judge was now in a furious rage. For some time he had been shouting ‘Clear the Court! Clear the Court!’ Nobody could hear him, however, because there was so much noise, and at last he came down from his throne, rolled up his sleeves, and borrowed a truncheon from Constable Drum. With this he started to bang and belabour everybody he could reach, including Mr. Hobson and Mr. Jobson, and drove them all out of court.
    Then he returned to his throne, where he sat puffing and blowing, his wig askew, and his sleeves rolled well above the elbow. ‘Now let’s get on with the trial,’ he said.
    All this time the Jury had been sitting, very quiet and well-behaved, in the Jury-box. Some of them were playing Patience, some playing Noughts and Crosses, some were reading books, and some were knitting. They felt they were the most important people in court, and they were determined to pay no attention to anyone else. Long before the trial started, they had all decided how they were going to vote, and naturally they didn’t want to hear anything that would make them change their minds. The Jury consisted of the following well-known, trustworthy, and highly respected citizens: Dr. Fosfar, Mr. and Mrs. Leathercow, Mr. and Mrs. Fullalove, Mr. and Mrs. Crumb, Mrs. Wax the chemist’s wife, Mr. Whitloe the drayman, Mrs. Horrabin the ironmonger’s wife, Mrs. Steeple the Vicar’s wife, and Mr. Casimir Corvo, teacher of music and dancing. The Foreman of the Jury was Dr. Fosfar, who was, at this moment, polishing his glass eye with a silk handkerchief.
    â€˜Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury,’ shouted the Judge. ‘I shall give you five minutes to make up your minds and return a verdict. You have heard the evidence, you have heard Mr. Jobson talk a great deal of nonsense, and you have heard Mr. Hobson, that poor fish, say nothing at all. In my opinion Mrs. Taper ought to be sent to prison. But according to British Law, which is the best in the world——’
    â€˜Hurrah!’ shouted Constable Drum.
    â€˜According to British Law,’ continued the Judge, ‘the verdict must be decided by you. Guilty or Not Guilty: one or the other. If you decide that Mrs. Taper is Guilty, then the wretched woman will go to prison, as she so richly deserves. If you decide she is Not Guilty, then I shall have to set her free, and she’ll continue to go round the country stealing silk stockings wherever she can find them.’
    â€˜I never did and I never shall!’ cried Mrs. Taper, but no one paid any attention to her.
    â€˜I shall say nothing, however,’ proceeded the Judge, ‘to influence you in any way. The responsibility is yours. You have five minutes, ladies and gentlemen, five minutes and not a second more!’
    The Judge took out his watch and laid it on the desk in front of him. Dr. Fosfar, who was sometimes absent-minded, put his glass eye in his waistcoat pocket and a piece of india-rubber where his eye should have been, and said to the Jury, ‘Now I’m going to ask each one of you in turn whether you think poor Mrs. Taper is Guilty or Not Guilty, and I shall write down your answers on this piece of paper. Now you, Mr. Leathercow: what is your opinion?’
    â€˜Not Guilty,’ said Mr. Leathercow.
    â€˜Guilty,’ said Mrs. Leathercow.
    â€˜Guilty,’ said Mrs. Fullalove.
    â€˜Not Guilty,’ said Mr. Fullalove.
    â€˜Not Guilty,’ said Mr. Crumb.
    â€˜Guilty,’ said Mrs. Crumb.
    â€˜Guilty,’ said Mrs. Wax.
    â€˜Guilty,’ said Mrs. Horrabin.
    â€˜Not Guilty,’ said Mr.