The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-11-21

wei. he was scared up a piece. that
tsnderfoot 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 q 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 I can make
out, # you see anything to Ian about,
I don't
Why says the ~tenderfoot, Z 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
'sileneei' 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 it.
Hm-m!' says the Judge. Looks
sort O. dark for this gent. Mr.. Jack
McLemore, You may tell what you
know
Jack gave his evidence and the
other boys stepped up one after n
other and gave theirs. It was pretty
late by this time and the Judge had to
shoe q team for Ed Wilson while it
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 I? 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, win ye? Daggone your friv-
Ious, triain' hide!'
The Teller didn't smile n more.
He just cussed and swore. I didn't
want to chain him up, but I had to.
He'd have Drained the old Judge with
the tongs If I hadn't. That bald
headed, goat-whiskered old rip was
there at the time, I tell you'll he shout
ed. Let me get at him
81 didn't quite understand 1t, but I
made him dry up, while the judge shod
the team. AS soon as he'd got 'em
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
] wVVnNav-U" er~na ono too LT4u vHTfRn Wmn
a cook from way back. I took my
blankets into the shop and slept with
the Teller ali 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 If
he didn't want to be turned over to
the crowd, and he seen the force OF
the argument.
THE judge took his seat 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 a serious crime. You don't seem
to savvy that It is serious. You might
steep a hOmicidaI hand in gore up to
the elbow and smile; you might swilI
a barrel Of tarantula juice and shoot.
n-4aas@b0W =1uu surTr 11IuS5 yUu
hold up the stage and smile at the ac-
%cusation; you might rob the mother
Of her tender child, but you can't o
a p~rospector 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-
treme penalty Of the law. Is this a
smiling matter?
81 punched the tenderfoot in the
ribs and he says: NO, your honor
"eThat's all right, then says the
Judge. Bein' as you admit that, l now
abrergate my judishul authority an
testifyin' as Bill Quinn, a citizen Of this
territory, inform the crowd that I was
nm to this mans cabin on a whitehall
hunt about a month ago. I seen the
burro stray along the ridge an helped
the prisoner to ketch it. / told him
he'd better bring it into town the first
time he come.
"rNow, resooming the authority
vested in me under and by virtue OF
the laws and revised statutes Of the
territory of New Mexico, I turn the
prisoner loose, with the caution not tC
think a court is to have its dignity
monkeyed with, even If it is held in q
3 blacksmith shop Chicago Daily
News.
Reason for the FIT.
m.-o.h - Ahn faIInr may