“Monstrous, monstrous!  Infamous falsehood!  Who will believe such a childish trumped up story!”

“Who, sir, will believe anything else?  You will hardly contend that you did not know the nuggets were gold, and no one will believe you mean enough to have tried to get this poor man’s property out of him for a song—­you knowing its value, and he not knowing the same.  No one will believe that you did not know the man to be a foreign devil, or that he could hoodwink two such learned Professors so cleverly as to get their permit out of them.  Obviously he seduced you into selling him your permit, and—­I presume because he wanted a little of our money—­he made you pay him for his kit.  I am satisfied that you have not only had traffic with a foreign devil, but traffic of a singularly atrocious kind, and this being so, I shall Blue-Pool both of you as soon as I can get you up to the Pool itself.  The sooner we start the better.  I shall gag you, and drive you up in a close carriage as far as the road goes; from that point you can walk up, or be dragged up as you may prefer, but you will probably find walking more comfortable.”

“But,” said Hanky, “come what may, I must be at the banquet.  I am set down to speak.”

“The Mayor will explain that you have been taken somewhat suddenly unwell.”

Here Yram, who had been talking quietly with her husband, Dr. Downie, and Mrs. Humdrum, motioned her son to silence.

“I feared,” she said, “that difficulties might arise, though I did not foresee how seriously they would affect my guests.  Let Mrs. Humdrum on our side, and Dr. Downie on that of the Professors, go into the next room and talk the matter quietly over; let us then see whether we cannot agree to be bound by their decision.  I do not doubt but they will find some means of averting any catastrophe more serious—­No, Professor Hanky, the doors are locked—­than a little perjury in which we shall all share and share alike.”

“Do what you like,” said Hanky, looking for all the world like a rat caught in a trap.  As he spoke he seized a knife from the table, whereon George pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and slipped them on to his wrists before he well knew what was being done to him.

“George,” said the Mayor, “this is going too far.  Do you mean to Blue-Pool the Professors or no?”

“Not if they will compromise.  If they will be reasonable, they will not be Blue-Pooled; if they think they can have everything their own way, the eels will be at them before morning.”

A voice was heard from the head of Panky which he had buried in his arms upon the table.  “Co-co-co-compromise,” it said; and the effect was so comic that every one except Hanky smiled.  Meanwhile Yram had conducted Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum into an adjoining room.

CHAPTER XX:  MRS. HUMDRUM AND DR. DOWNIE PROPOSE A COMPROMISE, WHICH, AFTER AN AMENDMENT BY GEORGE, IS CARRIED NEM.  CON.