"You meant to say, in other words, that it was not black?"
Witness, recovering himself and speaking stubbornly: "No, I meant to say that it was reddish—sort of sandy"——
"Ah—like the District Attorney's moustache, for instance?"
There was laughter in the court-room. The District Attorney's moustache was a brilliant carrot color, which at the opposing counsel's words, was emulated by his face.
"I object to these personalities," he said.
Mr. Fenton was instructed by the Judge to be more serious, but held to his point.
"Your Honor, it is necessary to find out what the witness means by the vague word 'reddish.' If he thinks it applies to the District Attorney's moustache"——
"But I don't," objected the aggrieved witness, to the renewed amusement of the court-room. "I call that carroty."
"Then point out, among people present, what hair you consider reddish."
The witness's eyes wandered till they alighted upon the distinctly sandy locks of one of the experts for the prosecution. "I call that hair reddish," he announced, with some satisfaction at finding a way out of his dilemma.