"'I guess I'll wait awhile,' said I.
"'Think it over, anyway. Now I tell you what I'll do. To-morrow you go up for pleading. You have to say whether you are guilty or not guilty. I'll act as your lawyer and see you through that part of it for nothing, and then if you still don't want to assign the claim, why, you can do as you choose.'
"That seemed fair enough, so I agreed. I spent another night in the cells, and next day about thirty of us were taken across the bridge into the court-room. One by one we were led up to the bar, and the clerk asked us were we guilty or not guilty. The ones that said they were guilty went off to Sing Sing or Blackwell's Island. It scared the life out of me. I was afraid that I might not be able to say 'not,' and so get sent off too, but pretty soon I saw my lawyer.
"'P. Llewellyn Riggs!'
"Up jumped Mr. Lawyer and says, 'Not guilty.'
"'What day?' asked the clerk.
"'The 21st,' says Mr. Lawyer.
"I was dumb for a minute.
"'Look here,' I whispered. 'To-day's only the first—that's three weeks.'
"'Keep quiet,' shouted an officer, and gave me a punch in the back.