St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-11-07

ing tub than he give q sigh of relia
s1d smiled like his troubles was all
over.
Stranger says the Judge, you
don't seem to realize the gravity q
your position, as near as can make
out. II you see anything to laff a.sout
I DON'T
why says the tenderfoot, 4 cues
there's nothin' to make me uneasy
You was camped over to my place an
eatin' my salt pork when that hurro
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 1t.
'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 an
other and gave theirs. It was pretty
shoe 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 Cor the night. Court is now
adjourned until tomorrow morning.
Smile, will We? Daggone Jour friv-
lous. triflin' hide!'
The Teller didn't smilo any more.
He Just cussed and swore. didn't
want to chain him up, tut had to.
He'd have Drained the Old Judge with
the tongs If hadn't. That bald
headed, goat-whiskered old rip was
there at the time. I tell your he shout
ed. Let me get at him.
II didn't quite understand It, 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.
1.-THE tenderfoot told him to go to
blazes, SO the Judge sent him out his
supper-a good one, too. His wife was
a cook from way back. took my
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 hint
that he'd better keep his head shut II
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 homicidal hand in gore up to
the elbow and smile; you might swill
a 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 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 matter?'
II punched the tenderfoot in the
ribs and he says: No, your honor
That's all right. them says the
Judge. 'Bein' as you admit that, I now
abrergate my judishul authority an,
testifyin' as Bill Quinn, a citizen Of this
territory. inform the crowd that was
up 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 1t into town the first
time he come.
Nov, resooming the authority
vested in me under and by virtue of
the laws and revised statutes of the
territory of New Mexico. turn the
prisoner loose. with the caution not to
think court is to have its dignity
with, even II 1t is Leld in
blacksmith shop "-Chicago Daily
News.