“That is my province,” interposed the judge, “and if the disturbance is repeated I shall know how to deal with it.”
The barrister bowed as he rearranged his papers, and I felt murderously inclined toward him when, leaning on the rail in an impressive attitude, he continued: “I must next ask the witness whether Mrs. Fletcher did or did not visit him alone at his house, and remain for some time there? Also, when her husband most naturally came to inquire for her, whether he was not threatened with violence, and driven away at the muzzle of a loaded rifle? I want a direct answer. Yes or no.”
The prosecution challenged the necessity for such a question, but after some verbal fencing between the lawyers and the judge it was allowed.
“In the first case I was not alone,” I said, looking straight at my adversary. “In the second I was absent, and did not threaten him.”
“He was to your knowledge threatened?” 300
“Yes.”
“Do you know that shortly after leaving your house he was murderously assaulted as a result of his visit?”
“I believe that some one flung him into a muddy sloo, and I was not sorry to hear it.”
“That is sufficient,” said the examiner, with a significant smile toward the jury. “He was threatened with a loaded rifle for inquiring as to his wife’s whereabouts; then murderously assaulted. Next you work up this charge against him. You may sit down.”
I understood that the judge made some comments here, but I was too savage to hear clearly, and scarcely caught what followed next, until Jasper was placed on the witness stand, and stated that he had given no authority to any one except myself to sell the cattle, which he swore to, with other details which were not particularly interesting. There was no doubt that Fletcher was at least obstinately defended, for the lawyer once more strove skillfully to twist out answers confirming the theory that his client had no direct connection with the affair, and sought to show on my part a deliberate intention to ruin him. He may even have believed the romantic story, which was particularly calculated to appeal to a Western jury.