"Certainly."
The cross-examination reinstated, Hammond for the fourth time started to leave the stand. Bill held up his hand and snapped in a determined tone, but with a smile playing among the wrinkles of his face:
"Hold on! I got some more for you!"
His victim threw himself back into the chair with a shrug and a sneer as he gave his head an irate shake.
"Mr. Hammond," Bill went on, "when you went after Mr. Marvin with the sheriff, what was the charge against him?"
Hammond answered, with a ready enthusiasm, "Trespassing on the property of the Pacific Railroad Company."
Bill nodded his head and said:
"Uh, ha."
He assumed an air of wisdom and raised his voice to the pitch that it seldom knew, but to have the floor again after so many months was having its effect upon him and he was taking the task in the same way and with the same glee as if it were the opportunity for telling a good story.
"If he was on their property," he began—then he seemed to forget what it was he was going to ask. He turned to Marvin in whispered conference. The unusual character of his procedure did not affect Lemuel Townsend, who was anxious to give the old man his full chance.