wn
way. I rode right after him, took Fletcher out of the wagon, asked the
other man if he felt inclined to assist him, and, when he didn't, laid
into Fletcher with the whip and just hove him into the sloo. Why did I do
it?--it's a poor conundrum. For the credit of the prairie. We've no room
for woman-beaters, cattle thieves, slanderers, and dishonest lawyers down
to our district. Bring along more questions--you hear me; I've lots more
to say."

The judge cut short his eloquence, but he had said enough, and there was
wild approval from the prairie contingent, in which some of the citizens
joined, and through it Jasper towered before the assembly, a stalwart
figure, shaking a great fist and ejaculating something in the direction of
his annoyer. The tumult was quelled with difficulty, and an official told
me that never before had he seen so much excitement shown. It was due, he
added, to the presence of those mad young riders of Carrington. I sat down
breathing more easily, for I felt that as yet my honor was clear, and
whether Fletcher escaped or not was of minor importance. From the
beginning the main efforts of the other side had been directed toward
saving him, while as the case proceeded I listened with decreasing
interest, until at last the prosecutor said:

"My opponent has done his utmost, even overstepping limits, to prove that
the witness Lorimer has ended a long course of injury by supporting a
false charge against the prisoner Fletcher. This is after all a side
issue, but I think the jury will agree that he has furnished most reliable
testimony, and that the prisoner mentioned took an unprincipled advantage
of his perfectly well-intentioned kindness."

There was considerably more which did not affect me, and another speech,
though I woke to eager interest again when the judge, in making his final
comments, said:

"As regards the witness Lorimer, I entirely agree with the view taken by
the prosecution. He has evidently suffered by well-meant efforts to aid
the prisoner, and, though that is not connected with the case except in so
far as it covers the reliability of his testimony, he has been shown to be
an individual of unblemished character. We can accordingly accept his
evidence."

Again there was applause, which the judge checked severely, and proceeded:
"You will notice that, while the prisoner Fletcher's record does not seem
to be a creditable one, the evidence fails in some degree to connect him
with