the night-born-第14部分

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did　not；　but　let　me　tell　you　that　I'd　a　thousand　times　rather

shake　hands　with　him　and　his　vile　following　of　curs；　than　with

you。〃



Judge　Witberg　was　painfully　flustered；　and　as　he　hemmed　and

hawed　and　essayed　to　speak；　Watson；　looking　at　him；　was　struck

by　a　sudden　whim；　and　he　determined　on　a　grim　and　facetious

antic。



〃I　should　scarcely　expect　any　animus　from　a　man　of　your

acquirements　and　knowledge　of　the　world；〃　the　Judge　was　saying。



〃Animus？〃　Watson　replied。　〃Certainly　not。　I　haven't　such　a

thing　in　my　nature。　And　to　prove　it；　let　me　show　you　something

curious；　something　you　have　never　seen　before。〃　Casting　about

him；　Watson　picked　up　a　rough　stone　the　size　of　his　fist。　〃See

this。　Watch　me。〃



So　saying；　Carter　Watson　tapped　himself　a　sharp　blow　on　the

cheek。　The　stone　laid　the　flesh　open　to　the　bone　and　the　blood

spurted　forth。



〃The　stone　was　too　sharp；〃　he　announced　to　the　astounded　police

judge；　who　thought　he　had　gone　mad。



〃I　must　bruise　it　a　trifle。　There　is　nothing　like　being

realistic　in　such　matters。〃



Whereupon　Carter　Watson　found　a　smooth　stone　and　with　it

pounded　his　cheek　nicely　several　times。



〃Ah；〃　he　cooed。　〃That　will　turn　beautifully　green　and　black　in

a　few　hours。　It　will　be　most　convincing。〃



〃You　are　insane；〃　Judge　Witberg　quavered。



〃Don't　use　such　vile　language　to　me；〃　said　Watson。　〃You　see　my

bruised　and　bleeding　face？　You　did　that；　with　that　right　hand

of　yours。　You　hit　me　twicebiff；　biff。　It　is　a　brutal　and

unprovoked　assault。　I　am　in　danger　of　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

upthat'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　unprovokedsniff；　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

his　story。



〃I　was　picking　flowers；〃　he　testified。　〃Picking　flowers　on　my

own　land；　never　dreaming　of　danger。　Suddenly　this　man　rushed

upon　me　from　behind　the　trees。　'I　am　the　Dodo；'　he　says；　'and　I

can　do　you　to　a　frazzle。　Put　up　your　hands。'　I　smiled；　but　with

that；　biff；　biff；　he　struck　me；　knocking　me　down　and　spilling

my　flowers。　The　language　he　used　was　frightful。　It　was　an

unprovoked　and　brutal　assault。　Look　at　my　cheek。　Look　at　my

noseI　could　not　understand　it。　He　must　have　been　drunk。

Before　I　recovered　from　my　surprise　he　had　administered　this

beating。　I　was　in　danger　of　my　life　and　was　compelled　to　defend

himself。　That　is　all；　Your　Honor；　though　I　must　say；　in

conclusion；　that　I　cannot　get　over　my　perplexity。　Why　did　he

say　he　was　the　Dodo？　Why　did　he　so　wantonly　attack　me？〃



And　thus　was　Sol　Witberg　given　a　liberal　education　in　the　art

of　perjury。　Often；　from　his　high　seat；　he　had　listened

indulgently　to　police　court　perjuries　in　cooked…up　cases；　but

for　the　first　time　perjury　was　directed　against　him；　and　he　no

longer　sat　above　the　court；　with　the　bailiffs；　the　Policemen's

clubs；　and　the　prison　cells　behind　him。



〃Your　Honor；〃　he　cried；　〃never　have　I　heard　such　a　pack　of　lies

told　by　so　bare…faced　a　liar！'



Watson　here　sprang　to　his　feet。



〃Your　Honor；　I　protest。　It　is　for　your　Honor　to　decide　truth　or

falsehood。　The　witness　is　on　the　stand　to　testify　to　actual

events　that　have　transpired。　His　personal　opinion　upon　things

in　general；　and　upon　me；　has　no　bearing　on　the　case　whatever。〃



The　Justice　scratched　his　head　and　waxed　phlegmatically

indignant。



〃The　point　is　well　taken；〃　he　decided。　〃I　am　surprised　at　you；

Mr。　Witberg；　claiming　to　be　a　judge　and　skilled　in　the　practice

of　the　law；　and　yet　being　guilty　of　such　unlawyerlike　conduct。

Your　manner；　sir；　and　your　methods；　remind　me　of　a　shyster。

This　is　a　simple　case　of　assault　and　battery。　We　are　here　to

determine　who　struck　the　first　blow；　and　we　are　not　interested

in　your　estimates　of　Mr。　Watson's　personal　character。　Proceed

with　your　story。〃



Sol　Witberg　would　have　bitten　his　bruised　and　swollen　lip　in

chagrin；　had　it　not　hurt　so　much。　But　he　contained　himself　and

told　a　simple；　straightforward；　truthful　story。



〃Your　Honor；〃　Watson　said；　〃I　would　suggest　that　you　ask　him

what　he　was　doing　on　my　premises。〃



〃A　very　good　question。　What　were　you　doing；　sir；　on　Mr。

Watson's　premises？〃



〃I　did　not　know　they　were　his　premises。〃



〃It　was　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　heavilyyou；　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　to　my　regret；〃here　he　paused　and　glared

at　Sol　Witberg〃in　each　of　these　cases　I　am　compelled　to　give

the　defendant　the　benefit　of　the　doubt。　Gentlemen；　you　are　both

dismissed。〃



〃Let　us　have　a　nip　on　it；〃　Watson　said　to　Witberg；　as　they　left

the　courtroom；　but　that　outraged　person　refused　to　lock　arms

and　amble　to　the　nearest　saloon。







WINGED　BLACKMAIL



PETER　WINN　lay　back　comfortably　in　a　library　chair；　with　closed

eyes；　deep　in　the　cogitation　of　a　scheme　of　campaign　destined

in　the　near　future　to　make　a　certain　coterie　of　hostile

financiers　sit　up。　The　central　idea　had　come　to　him　the　night

before；　and　he　was　now　reveling　in　the　planning　of　the　remoter；

minor　details。　By　obtaining　control　of　a　certain　up…country

bank；　two　general　stores；　and　several　loggi