If what you say about the
sergeant is true, or anything like true, Simpkins was evidently perfectly
justified in acting as he did."
"You won't say that," said Doyle, "when you hear the way it happened.
There's two apple trees in the garden at the back of the house Simpkins
lives in."
"I remember them," said Meldon; "but there never were any apples on them
in my time."
"There were apples on them last year," said Doyle, "however they came
there. Simpkins did be saying it was on account of the way he pruned the
trees; but he'd be talking a long time before I'd believe the like of
that. Any way, the apples were there, and a good many of them. I didn't
see them myself, but they tell me there might have been up to ten stone
altogether. Well, one night the half of them was gone. The gossures
from about the town had them ate."
"Of course they had," said Meldon. "What would you expect?"
"What nobody would expect," said Doyle, "was the temper Simpkins was in
in the morning. He was up and down, in and out of the police barrack,
cursing all sorts. Well, the sergeant came out and looked at the trees,
and he asked Simpkins did he have the apples counted before they were
took, and would he be prepared to swear to them if so be that the police
found them for him.
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