Part of the evidence taken in the Police Court, in the trial of two boys, Albert Home (16) and James Hopkins (16).

Mr. Carter, J.P. “Your name?”

1st Witness—a boy scout. “Tom Appleby, sir.”

Mr. C. “Age?”

1st W. “Fourteen-a-half, sir.”

Mr. C. “Tell the Court exactly what you were doing on Thursday afternoon.”

1st W. “Me and my patrol were doing Spider and Fly—that’s a scout game, sir—down below Barley’s Farm, and I was creeping through the trees so as not to make no noise when I heard somebody laugh, and when I crawls nearer I sees the—the prisoners sitting on the bank of Barley’s duck pond.”

Mr. C. “Could you see exactly what they were doing?”

1st W. “Yes, sir. The short one had hold of a frog by the back legs, and the tall one had a bicycle pump, and he put the connection down the frog’s throat, and was blowin’ him up with the bicycle pump.”

Mr. C. “Are you quite certain of this?”

1st W. “Yes, sir; and here’s the body all busted.” (Frog’s body produced.)

Mr. C. “And then what did you do?”

1st W. “Crawled back through the wood and signalled instructions to my patrol, sir. And when we got back they was starting in on another frog.”

Mr. C. “And how did you manage to catch these boys? They seem to be much bigger and stronger than any of you.”

1st W. “We lassooed ’em with ropes, sir, and pulled ’em backwards, sir, and then all ten of us set on ’em, sir, and tied ’em up, sir!” (Laughter.)

Mr. C. “And how did you get them to the camp?”

1st W. “Semaphored for the ’and-cart, sir.” (Laughter.)

2nd Witness called.

Mr. C. “Your name?”

2nd W. “My name is George Collinson.”

Mr. C. “You are scoutmaster in charge of the scouts’ summer camp, I believe?”

2nd W. “That is so.”

Mr. C. “Kindly tell the Court what you saw in connection with this business.”

2nd W. “At 3.30 on Thursday afternoon I was returning from the railway station with a newly arrived patrol when I saw a party of scouts coming from the direction of Barley’s Farm. They were pulling the small hand-cart in which two boys appeared to be lying. Fearing an accident I ran to meet them, and found these two lads tied securely hand and foot and fastened into the cart by means of the luggage-straps.”

Mr. C. “And what orders did you give?”

2nd W. “After hearing the whole story from Tom Appleby, I gave directions that the two lads should be taken to my tent. I also sent into Crickley for the police.”