The Irish standard., 1908-02-01

there any one in the county who did
not know Jim Munson? And Dick Cor.
don of all people! Then he remem.
bered that the boss had been asked
the same question, so it must be all
right. But the ways of the court
were surely mysterious and ofttimes
foolish.
"Jim Munson. Jim Munson's my
name-yep."
Gordon smiled.
You needn't insist on it, Mr.. Mum
son." he advised. I'VE know it now.
Where do you live?"
"Hellity damn! l live at the Three
Bars ranch"
In Kemah county?"
'It sure is"
What is your business, Mr. Nun.
SOM"
"Jim's shorter, Dick. Well, work
for the boss, Mr.. Paul Langford."
"ln what capacity?"
IF you mean what do do, why, I
ride the range, punch cows, always
go on the roundup I'm a fair bronco
breaker and l make up hunks and
clean lamp chimblies between times"
he recited, glibly, bound to be terse yet
explicit, by advice of the boss.
There was a gale of laughter in the
bar. Even the court smiled.
"Oh, Jim! Jim! You have perjured
yourself already" murmured the boss.
"Clean lamp chimneys-ye gods!"
well, grin away!" exploded Jim,
his quick ire rising. He had forgotten
that Judge Dales court was not like
Justice McAllister's. His fingers fair
ly itched to draw pistol and make
the scoffers laugh and dance to little
music of his own. But something in
Gordon's steady though seemingly
careless gaze brought him back to the
seriousness of the scene they were
playing-without guns.
The examination proceeded. The
air was getting sitting. Windows
were thrown open. Damp-looking
clouds had arisen from nowhere SEEM
ingly and spread over the little prairie
town, over the river and the hills 1t
was very warm. Weather-seasoned
Inhabitants would have predicted
storm had they not been otherwise en-.
gagged. There was no breath of air
stirring. Mrs. Higgins had said it
was sorry day for the cattle when
the river was running in December.
Others had said SO and SO believed,
but people were not thinking of the
cattle now. One big-boned, long-horned
steer held the stage alone.
The state proceeded to Munson' s
Identification of the steer in question.
After many and searching questions,
Gordon asked the witness:
Jim, would you be willing to swear
that the steer you had held over at
the stock yards was the very same
steer that was the mascot of the
Three Bars rancho"
This was Jim's big opportunity.
Know Mag? Swear to Mag? Dick
would know Mag eff met him on the
golden streets of the eternal city or
eft my eyes was full O. soundin' cat
aracts! Yep"
Il am not asking such an impossible
feat, Mr.. Munson," cut in Gordon, net
tied by the digressions of one OF his
most important witness. "Answel
briefly, please. Would you be willing
to swear?"
Jim was jerked back to the beaten
track by the sharp incision of Cor
don's rebuke. No, this was indeed moi
Jimmie Macs court.
"Yep," he answered, shortly.
Billy Brown was called. After the
preliminary questions, Gordon said t.
him:
Now, Mr.. Brown, please tell thu
jury how you came into possession O
the steer"
well, I WAS shippin' couple O. cal
loads to Sioux City, and was drivin
the bunch fnyself with a couple O
hands when l meets up with Jess,
Black here. He was herdin' a likel,
little bunch O half dozen or So
among em this spotted feller. He sait
he wasn't shippin' any this fall, bu
these were for sale-part of lot h,
had bought from Yellow Wolf. So tn,
upshot of the matter was took 'en
off his hands. / was just lackin' 'bou
that many to make a good, clean, tw,
cars full"
"You took bill-of-sale for them, o
course, Mr. BROWNE"
Il sure did. I'm too old hand t,
buy without a bill.o' sale"
The document was produced, mark
ed as an exhibit, and offered in evi
dence
The hearing of testimony for tn
state went on all through that day. l
was late when the state rested it
case-so late that the defence woul'
not be taken up until the following
day. 1t was all in-for veal or TO
woe. In some way all of the state
witnesses-with the possible excer