s a trespass, your Honor," Watson cried. "The warnings are posted
conspicuously."

"I saw no warnings," said Sol Witberg.

"I have seen them myself," snapped the Justice. "They are very
conspicuous. And I would warn you, sir, that if you palter with
the truth in such little matters you may darken your more important
statements with suspicion. Why did you strike Mr. Watson?"

"Your Honor, as I have testified, I did not strike a blow."

The Justice looked at Carter Watson's bruised and swollen visage, and
turned to glare at Sol Witberg.

"Look at that man's cheek!" he thundered. "If you did not strike a blow
how comes it that he is so disfigured and injured?"

"As I testified--"

"Be careful," the Justice warned.

"I will be careful, sir. I will say nothing but the truth. He struck
himself with a rock. He struck himself with two different rocks."

"Does it stand to reason that a man, any man not a lunatic, would so
injure himself, and continue to injure himself, by striking the soft and
sensitive parts of his face with a stone?" Carter Watson demanded

"It sounds like a fairy story," was the Justice's comment.

"Mr. Witberg, had you been drinking?"

"No, sir."

"Do you never drink?"

"On occasion."

The Justice meditated on this answer with an air of astute profundity.

Watson took advantage of the opportunity to wink at Sol Witberg, but
that much-abused gentleman saw nothing humorous in the situation.

"A very peculiar case, a very peculiar case," the Justice announced,
as he began his verdict. "The evidence of the two parties is flatly
contradictory. There are no witnesses outside the two principals. Each
claims the other committed the assault, and I have no legal way of
determining the truth. But I have my private opinion, Mr. Witberg, and
I would recommend that henceforth you keep off of Mr. Watson's premises
and keep away from this section of the country--"

"This is an outrage!" Sol Witberg blurted out.

"Sit down, sir!" was the Justice's thundered command. "If you interrupt
the Court in this manner again, I shall fine you for contempt. And I
warn you I shall fine you heavily--you, a judge yourself, who should be
conversant with the courtesy and dignity of courts. I shall now give my
verdict:

"It is a rule of law that the defendant shall be given the benefit of
the doubt. As I have said, and I repeat, there is no legal way for me
to determine who struck the first blow. Therefore, and much t