The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1903-10-23

tenderfoot. but he'd no sooner got into
the blacksmith shop and the court had
taken his seat on the edge of the cool
ing tub than he give a sigh of relief
and smiled like his troubles was all
over.
Stranger says the judge. you
don't seem TO realize the gravity OF
your position. as near as | can make
out. If you see anything to laff about.
don't
Why. says the tenderfoot, 4 guess
there's nothin' to make me uneasy.
You was camped over to my place an
eatin' my salt pork when that burro
happened along
Silence! says the Judge How
dare you talk back to the court? We
will now proceed. Mr.. Sam Hickson,
you may state your case
Sam told about losing the burro
and led it in and identified il.
Hmm! says the judge. Looks
sort o dark for this gent Mr.. Jack
McLemore, you may tell what you
know
Jack gave his evidence and tte
other boys stepped up one after an
other and gave theirs II was pretty
late by this time and the judge had %
shoe a team for Ed Wilson while t
was light so he adjourned court until
ten O'Clock the next day.
But see here says the prisoner.
there's no need o this. You can
Silence roared the judge. Are
you trying this case or am T. Mr.
Deputy. you can take that there log
chain and make the accused fast to
that anvil for the night. Court is now
adjourned until tomorrow morning
Smile. will We? Daggone your friv-
'lous. triflin' hide,'
The Teller didn't smile any more.
He just cussed and swore. | didn't
want to chain him up, but | had to.
He'd have Drained the old judge with
the tongs If | hadn't That bald
headed -whiskered old rip was
there at the time, tell you!' he shout
cd. Let me get at hiE1'
81 didn't quite understand II, but |
made him dry up. while the Judge shod
the team. AS soon as he'd got EN-
shod he invited us all into the house
to eat. You can come. too he said
to the tenderfoot, If you can keep
from smiling an not open your mouth
except to put grub in it
THE tenderfoot told him to go to
blazes. so the judge sent him out his |
supper-a good one, too. His wife was
blankets into the shop and slept with
the Teller all night The next morning
the judge opened up court ahead of
time. I'd given the prisoner a hint
that he'd better keep his head shut il
he didn't want to be turned over to
the crowd. and he seen the force of
the argument
The judge took his scat again on
the cooling tub and put on his spec
tacles and looked at the tenderfoot
steady and severe. Then he says:
Prisoner at the bar. you are charged
with serious crime. You don't seem
to savvy that It is serious. You might
steep a homicidal hand in gore up to
the elbow and smile; you might swill
barrel of tarantula juice and shoot
up the town and still smile; YOU might
hold up the stage and smile at the ac-
cusatiOn: you might rob the mother
of her tender child. but you can't rob
a prospector of his mule and indulge
in unseemly hilarity in this court.
That is a crime from which a debased
hyena would shrink in horror The
mule is the prospector's life. his
wealth. his companion. his friend and
his child rolled into one The evil
dence is clean agin you. You stand
here before me in jeopardy of the ex-
IRENE penalty of the law Is this
smiling natter
Il punched the tenderfoot in the
ibis and he says: No. your honor
That's all right. then says the
Judge 'Bein' as you admit that. | now
lbrergate my judishul authority an.
estifyin' as Bill Quinn. citizen of this
erritory. inform The crowd that | was
Up to this mans cabin on a Whitehall
lunt about month ago. ! seen the
1urro stray along the ridge an helped
he prisoner TO ketch II. told him
lcd better bring il into town the first
ime he come.
Now. resooming the authority
'ested in me under and by virtue Of
he laws ard revised statutes of the |
erritory of New Mexico. | turn the
prisoner loose. with the caution not to |
hink court is 10 have its dignity |
with even If il is held in a |
blacksmith shop Chicago Daily |
News.
Reason for tho FIT.