The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1908-04-03


Yes
you had been away some timer,
1.-THE better part of a year" con.
fessed Langford, with engaging can
dor. - r.
Eyes, Now, Mr.. Langford, should
like you to tell me about how manv
cattle you range-in round numbers %
about 5000 head"
Eyes. Now, Mr.. Langford, you who
count your cattle by the thousands,
on your own sworn word you have
been out of the country year. Don't
you think you are asking this Jury to
swallow pretty big mouthful when
you ask them to believe that you could
80 Enthusiastically distinguish this one
poor ornery steer, who has so little to
distinguish him from thousands of
Others?" :.
81 have owned that spotted steer for
years" said Langford, composedly. II
have never sold him because he was
rather an odd creature and so can
tankerous that we dubbed him the
Three Bars mascot"
OOiuOu Cdllou jim MunSOO.
"What is your name?"
"Gosh!"
The question was unexpected. Was
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. Num-
son." he advised. 1--WE know it now.
Where do you ive?"
"Hellity damn! live at the Three
Bars ranch"
I'm Kemah county?"
1T sure is"
What is your business, Mr.. Mum
SON." ~
"Jim's shorter, Dick Well, I work
for the boss, Mr.. Paul Langford.'
I'm what capacity?' -~~,.*-~.-
IF you, mean what do I do, why. /
ride the range, punch cows, I always
go on the roundup, I'm fair bronco.
breaker and 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 gale of laughter in the
fho
"Oh, Jim! Jim! You have perjured
yourself already!" tnurmured the boss.
"Clean lamp chimneys--ye gods!"
well, grin away!" exploded Jim,
his quick ire rising. He had forgotten
that Judge Dale's court was not like
Justice McAllister's. His fingers fair.
ly itched to draw a 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.
lngly and spread over the little prairie
town, over the river and the hills: It
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
put people were not thinking of the
cattle now. One big-boned, long-horned
steer held the stage alone.
The state proceeded to Munson's
ldentl1lcatlon 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,
l would know Mag eff met him on the
golden streets of the eternal city or
eff 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. Answer
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 not
Jimmie Macs court.
"Yep," he answered, shortly.
: Billy Brown was called. After the
preliminary questions, Gordon said to
him:
'Now, Mr.. Brown, please tell tho
jury how you came into possession Of
the steer" "a ,..s@ !: :,
"Well, l was shippin' couple o. car
loads to Sioux City, and I was driv;n,