 | The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley |  |
628
A CASE IN P'INT
We don't go much on lawin'
Here in around the mines?—
Well, now, you're jest hurrahin'
Like the wind amongst the pines!
Of course we allus aim to
Give “the prisoner” a chance—
Though sometimes a jury's game to
Ring a verdict in advance!
Here in around the mines?—
Well, now, you're jest hurrahin'
Like the wind amongst the pines!
Of course we allus aim to
Give “the prisoner” a chance—
Though sometimes a jury's game to
Ring a verdict in advance!
What wuz his name—this feller
'At stold the Jedge's mare
Last spring?—wuz tryin' to sell her
Down here at Rip and Tear,
When “Faro Bill” dropped on him,
And bagged him, sound and good
And biznesslike, dog-gone him,
As the constable a-could!
'At stold the Jedge's mare
Last spring?—wuz tryin' to sell her
Down here at Rip and Tear,
When “Faro Bill” dropped on him,
And bagged him, sound and good
And biznesslike, dog-gone him,
As the constable a-could!
Well, anyway, his trial
Wuz a case in p'int:—He pled
“Not guilty”—a denial
'At his attorney said
Could be substantiated
On the grounds, 'at when the mare
Wuz “stold,” as claimed and stated,
The defendant wuzn't square,—
Wuz a case in p'int:—He pled
“Not guilty”—a denial
'At his attorney said
629
On the grounds, 'at when the mare
Wuz “stold,” as claimed and stated,
The defendant wuzn't square,—
But he'd be'n a testifyin',
Round the raw edge of a spree
At Stutsman's bar, a-tryin'
To hold one drink in three,
To “Jim-jams”; and he reckoned
'At his client's moral tone
Could not be classed as second
To the Jedge's—er his own.
Round the raw edge of a spree
At Stutsman's bar, a-tryin'
To hold one drink in three,
To “Jim-jams”; and he reckoned
'At his client's moral tone
Could not be classed as second
To the Jedge's—er his own.
“That savin'-clause is timely,”
Says the Jedge, a-turnin' back
To color as sublimely
As I've seed him turn a jack.—
“But,” says he to the defendant,
“Ef you didn't ‘steal’ the mare
I'll ask ef your attendant
‘Pharos William,’ didn't swear
Says the Jedge, a-turnin' back
To color as sublimely
As I've seed him turn a jack.—
“But,” says he to the defendant,
“Ef you didn't ‘steal’ the mare
I'll ask ef your attendant
‘Pharos William,’ didn't swear
“You wuzn't ‘full’ when captured?”
Then, a-drawin' of his gun,
The Jedge went on, enraptured
With the trail 'at he'd begun,—
“I'll tax your re-collection
To enquire ef you know
That hoss left my protection
On'y jes' five hours ago?—
Then, a-drawin' of his gun,
The Jedge went on, enraptured
With the trail 'at he'd begun,—
“I'll tax your re-collection
To enquire ef you know
That hoss left my protection
On'y jes' five hours ago?—
630
“In consequence, it follers,
No man as drunk as you—
And I'll bet a hundred dollars
To the opposition's two!—
Could sober to the beauty
Of the standerd you present
This writin'—hence my duty
Plainly is—to circumvent—”
No man as drunk as you—
And I'll bet a hundred dollars
To the opposition's two!—
Could sober to the beauty
Of the standerd you present
This writin'—hence my duty
Plainly is—to circumvent—”
And afore the jury knowed it,
Bang! his gun went!—“And I'll ask,”
He went on, as he th'owed it
Up to finish out his task,
“Ef it's mortal?”—then, betrayin'
Some emotion, with a bow,
He closed by simply sayin'—
“You can take the witness now!”
Bang! his gun went!—“And I'll ask,”
He went on, as he th'owed it
Up to finish out his task,
“Ef it's mortal?”—then, betrayin'
Some emotion, with a bow,
He closed by simply sayin'—
“You can take the witness now!”
| The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley | |