Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-19
therefor as provided and laid down In

ct IOrceO Cle unwilling COnSC0 DieS, art
er considerable goading, to action. The
blacksmith, snoring in slumber, was
dragged out of the woods and cast into
the new lookup. On the following
morning he had sobered up sufficiently
to appear before the court, which in
Pottersville meant Judge Weaver.
Two Of the constables swore to hav-
ing seer John Grant very drunk and
disorderly at the Come Inn. There
was no defense. The blacksmith even
pleaded guilty with a certain amount
Of elation. Apparently the one uncom-
Portable feature of the affair to him
was the long and maliciously worded
harangue which, behind the dignity Of
the law. Judge Weaver delivered to
the prisoner. closing by sentencing him
to sixty days in Pottersville Jail and
ining him $6.76 costs.
There was a beattfic smile on the
highly colored face Of the prisoner as
he vas led off to the lookup, closely
guarded by quite unnecessary consta-
bles, after Offering to work out the
fine by shoeing the yoke Of oxen kept
to aid the paupers in their work on the
town farm. The proffer had been re-
fused with a great show Of dignity.
1t. would have required no great eff
fort for the burly prisoner to tear down
the bars which covered the windows
of the Jail and which were rather more
for decoration than for anything else,
but other thoughts were IN his mind.
he was, for the first time in his life, a
prisoner. 1t was the duty Of the town
to which he had paid poll and property
taxes for more years than he could
really remember to provide him with
bed and board. The experience was
not only novel, but also distinctly
pleasing, vesting him with q sense of
new Importance.
1t was easier than working, this jail
life, and after the first week III the
we'll warmed lookup he began to look
forward with regret to the time when
he must leave it.
With the passing Of the first fort
night Of the sixty days confinement
this state of affairs, however, began to
pail on him. He found that a vacation
may be of too long duration. He be-
gan to pine for work. Furthermore,
his pride was seriously affected. On
two or three occasions Jailer Gibson on
leaving the lookup after bringing in
the blacksmith's supper had forgotten
to lock the door after him. The pris-
oner demonstrated in forcible language
OF fhic inattantion tO dutv
"Im goin' to be locked up nights
hereafter, Jim Gibson" he said, knit
ting the red skin of his forehead into
a mass of frowning wrinkles, IAN l
want you to understan' it. Think Of
me stayin' in Jail without bein' locked
up! Amt I got a right to be locked
up?"
"Tn put a spring lock on the door
tomorrow, John, an then If 1 go away
an forget to lock the door you can
close it an lock it any time you want"
"Well, Jim, all l asks to be locked
up like 1 ought to be-" answered the
notified prisoner. That's all 1 ask"
eyes, an I'll do more than that"
continued the constable. "IIl have
that lock SOS you can open it from the
inside with a nail. Nobody but us
need know, an you can step outside
any time you want to. I'm dom this"
he went on hastily, "'cause I don't
want you to get sick while you're in
my charge. Prisoners get all the ex-
ercise they want in ev'ry we'll regu-
lated Jail, an 1 amt goin' to have no
one say the P~ottersville jails benin
the times"
mo, nor 1 nuther!" agreed the black
smith heartily. Have some tobacco.
Jim7"
Jailer Gibson took a pipeful Of the
contents of the blue and tinsel pack
age extended to him, and, rolling it III
the palm of his hand, sat down to have
a further chat with the prisoner.
"See here. john" he began, ''the
boys aroun' Pottersville are gettln'
mighty hard up FIR a horseshoer. They
don't want to go out Of town FIR one
thing. sides, they couldn't get nobody
nearer nor Spencer, an that's most
forty mile away. We've been a-talkin'
it over at the grocery store, an we de-
cided to ask you if you wouldn't like
to do a little work here. We could fix
up a place where you could do shoeiu'
real slick"
81 don't knows I'd object to 1t, Jim,'
deliberated the blacksmith, "providin'
the boys didn't think twas lettin' me
down on my sixty days."
"No n would think that, john" in
terpolated the constable. "Why, 'twould
be just a favor to you, If you'd do it.
It's mighty slipp'ry on the roads, an
it's hard on the horses feet. There's
more'n fifty on 'em need sharpenin'.
'Twould be just a stroke Of common
humanity on your part. John, If you'd
do it."
"Well, you go ahead an fix the things
up" agreed the prisoner, "an I reckon
twill be all right"
The next day a portable forge was
obtained, and a huge pair of bellows
set up. The smith donned his apron
and did a rafting business. On the
day following he shod Judge Viewers
trotting horse KeIleck. 2:1s, who had
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