f my life. I must protect myself."

Judge Witberg backed away in alarm before the menacing fists of the
other.

"If you strike me I'll have you arrested," Judge Witberg threatened.

"That is what I told Patsy," was the answer. "And do you know what he
did when I told him that?"

"No."

"That!"

And at the same moment Watson's right fist landed flush on Judge
Witberg's nose, putting that legal gentleman over on his back on the
grass.

"Get up!" commanded Watson. "If you are a gentleman, get up--that's what
Patsy told me, you know."

Judge Witberg declined to rise, and was dragged to his feet by the
coat-collar, only to have one eye blacked and be put on his back again.
After that it was a red Indian massacre. Judge Witberg was humanely and
scientifically beaten up. His checks were boxed, his cars cuffed, and
his face was rubbed in the turf. And all the time Watson exposited
the way Patsy Horan had done it. Occasionally, and very carefully, the
facetious sociologist administered a real bruising blow. Once, dragging
the poor Judge to his feet, he deliberately bumped his own nose on the
gentleman's head. The nose promptly bled.

"See that!" cried Watson, stepping back and deftly shedding his blood
all down his own shirt front. "You did it. With your fist you did it. It
is awful. I am fair murdered. I must again defend myself."

And once more Judge Witberg impacted his features on a fist and was sent
to grass.

"I will have you arrested," he sobbed as he lay.

"That's what Patsy said."

"A brutal---sniff, sniff,--and unprovoked--sniff, sniff--assault."

"That's what Patsy said."

"I will surely have you arrested."

"Speaking slangily, not if I can beat you to it."

And with that, Carter Watson departed down the canyon, mounted his
horse, and rode to town.

An hour later, as Judge Witberg limped up the grounds to his hotel, he
was arrested by a village constable on a charge of assault and battery
preferred by Carter Watson.

V

"Your Honor," Watson said next day to the village Justice, a well to
do farmer and graduate, thirty years before, from a cow college, "since
this Sol Witberg has seen fit to charge me with battery, following upon
my charge of battery against him, I would suggest that both cases
be lumped together. The testimony and the facts are the same in both
cases."

To this the Justice agreed, and the double case proceeded. Watson, as
prosecuting witness, first took the stand and told