Part III Chapter 3 Doctor Dolittle's Circus by Hugh Lofting
SIR WILLIAM PEABODY, J. P.
John Dolittle, turning about slowly, found a large man grasping his collar. He wore some kind of a sailor-like uniform.
"Who are you?" asked the Doctor.
"Coastguard," said the man.
"What do you want? Let go of my coat."
"You're arrested."
"What for?"
"Murder."
While the Doctor was still trying to recover from his astonishment he saw more people coming across the downs from the lonely house which he had already noticed. When they came close he saw they were two men and a woman.
"Have you got him, Tom?"
"Yes. Caught 'im right in the act."
"What was it?"
"A woman," said the coastguard. "I grabbed him just as he threw her over the cliff. Jim, you run down to the station and get the boats out. You may be in time to save her yet. But I doubt it. I'll take him along to the quod. You come on down there or send me word, if you find anything."
"It'll be his wife," said the woman, peering at the Doctor in awe and horror. "Murdered his wife! You Bluebeard! Maybe he's a Turk, Tom --from Constanti-what-d'yer-call-it. They always throw their wives in the Phosphorus when they've done with 'em."
"No, 'e ain't no Turk," said the coastguard. "'E talks English."
"Then he ought to be still more ashamed of 'is-self,' said the woman --"much more than if he'd been brought up to such habits--pore creature!" (She gazed over the edge of the cliff with a shudder.) "I wonder will they find 'er. Seems to me almost as though I could see something floating on the water down there. Pore creature! Well, that's the end of her troubles. Maybe she's better off than she was, married to him, the brute!"
"It wasn't my wife," said the Doctor sullenly.
"Who was it then?" asked the coastguard. "It was some women--'cause I seen you carrying her in your arms."
To this the Doctor decided, after a moment of thought, to say nothing. Now that he was arrested he would probably have to admit in the end that it was Sophie he had thrown into the sea. But until he was compelled in court to tell the whole story it seemed wiser to keep silence.
"Who was it?" the man repeated.
Still the Doctor said nothing.
"It was his wife all right," said the woman. "He has a wicked eye. I'll bet he has five or six wives stowed away somewhere--waiting for their doom, pore things."
"Well, he don't have to answer," said the coastguard. "It's my duty to warn you," he said very grandly, turning to the Doctor, "that anything you say may be used in evidence against you. Now let's go down to the court-house."
Fortunately for the Doctor it was by this time well on into the early hours of the morning. And when after crossing the downs they finally made their way into the town they found the streets deserted. The woman had not accompanied them. And the Doctor and his coastguard reached the court-house without meeting a single soul.
Just as they were about to enter the police station next door, Jim, the other coastguard man, ran up and joined his companion with Sophie's wet cloak on his arm and her bonnet in his hand.
"We couldn't find the body, Tom," said he, "but these clothes was floating at the foot of the cliff. I've left Jerry Bulkley in the boat still searching. I brought these down to you 'cause I thought you might want 'em."
"Yes, they'll be needed in evidence," said the other, taking the things from him. "Better go back and carry on with the search. I'll come and join you as soon as I've got the prisoner locked up."
Then the poor Doctor was taken into the police station; and after his name and various particulars about him were written down in a big book he was placed in a little stone cell with some bread and water and left to his meditations.
As the noise of the clanging door and rattling bolts died away John Dolittle noticed the gray light of dawn creeping in at a little barred window at his elbow.
"Heigh-ho!" he sighed, gazing round the bare stone walls. "Jail again! I congratulated myself too soon. I wonder was Matthew ever in this prison."
Where the morning sun fell in a patch upon the wall he noticed some letters and signs scratched in the stone by former prisoners. He crossed the cell and examined them. Among them he found a very badly made "M. M."
"Yes," he said, "Matthew's been here, too. Seems proud of it. Well, well--it's a funny world."
Picking up the loaf which had been provided for him, he broke it in half and ate a couple of mouthfuls. He was very hungry.
"What good bread!" he murmured. "Quite fresh. I must ask the jailer where he gets it. The bed isn't bad either," he added, punching the mattress. "I think I'll take a nap. Haven't had a decent sleep in I don't know how long."
Then he took his coat off, rolled it up for a pillow and lay down.
And when, about ten o'clock in the morning, the superintendent of police entered with a tall white-haired gentleman they found the prisoner stretched on his cot snoring loudly.
"Humph!" murmured the old gentleman in a low voice. "He doesn't look very dangerous, does he, Superintendent?"
"Ah," said the other, shaking his head, "it only shows you, Sir William, what a life of crime will do. Fancy being able to sleep like that after throwing his poor wife into the sea!"
"Well, leave us alone for a little while," said the older man. "Come back in about a quarter of an hour. And, by the way, you need not mention my visit here to any one--not for the present."
"Very good, Sir William," said the superintendent. And he went out locking the door behind him.
Then the white-haired old gentleman went over to the cot and stood looking down a moment into the Doctor's peaceful face.
Presently he shook the sleeper gently by the shoulder.
"Dolittle," he said. "Here--John, wake up!"
Slowly the Doctor opened his eyes and raised himself on his elbow.
"Where am I?" he said drowsily. "Oh, yes, of course, in jail."
Then he stared at the man who stood beside him. And at last a smile spread over his face.
"Heavens above! It's Sir William Peabody," said he. "Well, well, William! What on earth brings you here?"
"I might still more reasonably ask you how you come to be here," said the visitor.
"My goodness!" murmured the Doctor. "It must be fifteen years since I've seen you. Let me see: the last time was when we both got pretty angry--you remember?--arguing for and against fox hunting. Have you given it up yet?"
"No," said Sir William. "I still hunt two days a week. That's all I can manage now with my court duties and other things. They made me a Justice of Peace about five years ago."
"Well, it ought to be stopped," said the Doctor with great earnestness, "altogether. You can say what you like, but the fox is not given a square deal. One fox against dozens of dogs! Besides, why should he be hunted? A fox has his rights, the same as you and I have. It's absurd: a lot of grown men on horses, with packs of hounds, roaring across country after one poor little wild animal."
The old gentleman sat down on the bed beside the Doctor, threw back his head and laughed.
"Same old Dolittle," he chuckled. "Did any one ever see the like? In jail, charged with murder, the first thing he does when I come to see him is try and open a discussion about fox hunting. Ever since I've known you, John--even when you were a scrubby little boy at school studying beetles under a magnifying glass--you've been the same. Listen: I haven't come here to argue about the rights of foxes. As I told you, I'm a J. P. You're due to appear before me for examination in about an hour. What I want to hear is your version of this charge that is brought against you. You are accused of murdering your wife. I happened to notice your name on the police book. From what I remember of you, I can well understand your killing any woman who was mad enough to marry you. But the part I don't believe is that you ever had a wife. What's it all about? They tell me you were seen throwing a woman into the sea."
"It wasn't a woman," said the Doctor.
"What was it then?"
The Doctor looked down at his boots and fidgeted like a schoolboy caught doing something wrong.
"It was a seal," he said at last, "a circus seal dressed up as a woman. She wasn't treated properly by her keepers. And she wanted to escape, to get back to Alaska and her own people. So I helped her. I had the very dickens of a time bringing her across country all the way from Ashby. I had to disguise her as a woman so we could travel without arousing suspicion. And the circus folk were out after me. Then just as I got her here to the coast and was throwing her into the sea, so she could swim back to her native waters, one of your coastguard men saw me and put me under arrest.--What are you laughing about?"
Sir William Peabody, who had been trying to suppress a smile throughout the Doctor's story, was now doubled up with merriment.
"As soon as they said it was your wife," he gurgled when he had partly recovered, "I knew there was something fishy about it. And there was, all right! You do smell terribly."
"Seals have to smell of fish," said the Doctor in an annoyed tone. "And I was compelled to carry her part of the way."
"You'll never grow up, John," said Sir William shaking his head and wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Now tell me: how far back on this trip of yours were you and the lady you eloped with seen? Because although we can certainly get you out of charge of wife murder, it may not be so easy to clear you on the charge of stealing a seal. Were you followed down here, do you think?"
"Oh, no. We were not bothered by the circus folk after we got away from Ashby. Then at Shottlake we got taken for highwaymen and caused a little sensation when we traveled by coach. But after that nobody suspected anything till--till--"
"Till you threw your lady-love over the cliff," Sir William put in. "Did any one see you being brought in here?"
"No," said the Doctor. "No one down here knows anything about it except the three coastguardsmen and a woman--the wife of one of them, I suppose. The streets were quite empty when I was brought to the jail."
"Oh, well," said Sir William, "I think we can manage it. You'll have to stay here till I can get the charge withdrawn. Then get away from this part of the country as quick as you can."
"But what about the coastguard folk?" asked the Doctor. "Are they still hunting for the body?"
"No, they've given it up now," said Sir William. "They brought back your victim's cloak and bonnet. That was all they could find. We'll say you were just throwing some old clothes into the sea--which is partly true. When I explain matters to them they won't talk-- and even if they do, it isn't likely their gossip will ever reach your circus people. But listen, Dolittle: do me a favor and don't bring any more menageries down here to throw over our cliffs, will you? It would get hard to explain if you made a habit of it. Besides you'll spoil the circus business. Now you stay here till I've fixed things up officially; and as soon as they let you out, get away from this district. Understand?"
"All right," said the Doctor. "Thank you. But listen, Will, about that fox hunting. Supposing you were in the fox's--"
"No," said Sir William rising. "I refuse to re-open the argument now, John. I hear the superintendent coming back. We have too many foxes in this country. They need to be kept down."
"Quite a nice prison you have here, Will," said the Doctor as the superintendent opened the door. "Thanks for calling."
When Sir William and the superintendent had disappeared the Doctor fell to walking up and down his cell for exercise. He began to wonder how things were getting on with his household in his absence. And he was still thinking over the animals' idea of a reformed circus when, about half an hour later, a police-sergeant appeared at the door, extraordinarily polite and gracious.
"The superintendent presents his compliments, Doctor," he said, "and apologizes for the mistake that was made. But it was not our department's fault. It was the coastguards who made the arrest. Very stupid of them, very. The charge is now withdrawn, Sir, and you are free to go whenever you wish."
"Thank you," said the Doctor. "I think I'll go now. It's a nice prison you have here--almost the best I was ever in. Tell the superintendent he needn't apologize. I've had a most refreshing sleep--so well ventilated. It would make a splendid place for writing--undisturbed and airy. But unfortunately I have matters to attend to and must leave right away. Good day to you."
"Good day, Sir," said the sergeant. "You'll find the exit at the end of the passage."
At the front door of the police station the Doctor paused.
"My goodness!" he muttered. "I haven't any money to pay the coach back to Ashby. I wonder if Sir William would lend me a guinea."
And he turned back. But at the superintendent's office he was told that the Justice of Peace had gone off hunting for the day and wouldn't be back till to-morrow morning.
Once more he set out to leave the station. But at the door he paused again.
"I might as well take the rest of my loaf with me," he murmured. "It belongs to me after all--and I'll need it if I'm to get to Ashby without a penny in my pockets."
And he hurried back to his cell.
He found a policeman putting the place in order.
"Excuse me," said the Doctor. "Don't let me disturb your sweeping. I just came back for something I left behind me. Ah, there it is-- my loaf! Thank you. Excellent bread you have here."
And after enquiring at the superintendent's office on the way out for the name of the baker who supplied the police station, John Dolittle sallied forth to freedom with half a loaf under his arm.