r man shut his eyes and sprang forward. The
wall was high, and he flew rapidly through the air, but it was not the
ground he touched, only the body of the sick man, who rolled over and
died without a groan. As for the other, he was quite unhurt, and was
slowly rising to his feet when his arms were suddenly seized and held.

'You have killed our father, do you see? do you see?' cried two young
men, 'and you will come with us this instant before the judge, and
answer for it.'

'Your father? but I don't know him. What do you mean?' asked the poor
man, who was quite bewildered with his sudden rush through the air, and
could not think why he should be accused of this fresh crime. But he got
no reply, and was only hurried through the streets to the court-house,
where his brother, the muleteer, and the farmer had just arrived, all as
angry as ever, all talking at once, till the judge entered and ordered
them to be silent.

'I will hear you one by one,' he said, and motioned the younger brother
to begin.

He did not take long to state his case. The unfinished houses were his,
left him with the rest of the property by his father, and his brother
refused to give them up. In answer, the poor man told, in a few words,
how he had begged the houses from his brother, and produced the deed of
gift which made him their owner.

The judge listened quietly and asked a few questions; then he gave his
verdict.

'The houses shall remain the property of the man to whom they were
given, and to whom they belong. And as you,' he added, turning to the
younger brother, 'brought this accusation knowing full well it was
wicked and unjust, I order you, besides losing the houses, to pay a
thousand pounds damages to your brother.'

The rich man heard the judge with rage in his heart, the poor man with
surprise and gratitude. But he was not safe yet, for now it was the turn
of the farmer. The judge could hardly conceal a smile at the story,
and inquired if the wife was dead before the farmer left the house, and
received for answer that he was in such a hurry for justice to be done
that he had not waited to see. Then the poor man told his tale, and once
more judgment was given in his favour, while twelve hundred pounds
was ordered to be paid him. As for the muleteer, he was informed very
plainly that he had proved himself mean and ungrateful for the help that
had been given him, and as a punishment he must pay to the poor man a
fine of fifty poun