looked over her shoulder before she answered.

"I guess we'd rather stay where we are," she said.

Incapable of withstanding such a rebuff, Rankin slouched across the room
and stood in the open doorway. A three-seated ranch-wagon, drawn by a
pair of ill-matched but brisk little broncos, was just coming along the
street. The heavy wheels creaked and groaned over the snow, and then
stopped before the court-house. The whole "court," which was sojourning
with a well-to-do ranchman a couple of miles out of town, had arrived,
plentifully wrapped up in mufflers of every color of the rainbow. As
judge and lawyers descended before the temple of justice, it was curious
to observe how, in spite of bemufflered heads and crimson noses, these
representatives of a different civilization contrasted with the prairie
people. There was the grave, keen-eyed judge, of humane and dignified
bearing; there was the district attorney, shrewd and alert, a rising
man; and there were lawyers from the city of Springtown: all this
ability and training placed at the service of the remote little prairie
community.

"What's on this afternoon, judge?" asked Merriam the storekeeper, with
the well-bred familiarity of a prominent citizen.

"The Rumpety case, I believe."

"Not much good, I suppose."

"I'm afraid not," said the judge, glancing as he passed at the shivering
woman and children. "I wonder if they have had any dinner," he queried,
with sudden solicitude.

"Yes. My wife looked after that. She took 'em over a mess of stuff. They
looked scared of their lives to eat it, but it's safe inside of 'em
now." And the kind, red-faced storekeeper hugged himself visibly at the
thought.

The court assembled.

Within the bar a group of chairs had already been taken possession of by
the dames and belles of Sandoria and the neighboring ranches, to whom
court-week is the equivalent of carnival, opera, or races in more
favored regions; and where, indeed, could a more striking drama be
presented for their delectation than here, where friends and neighbors
played the leading parts?

The court assembled; lawyers and stenographer took their places; the
clerk stood in readiness; the judge mounted the bench; and lo! the
historic dignity of a court of justice had descended upon that rude
stage, and all was ready for whatever comedy or tragedy might be to
enact upon it.

The judge, referring to the list, announced that the next case would be
"The people of