Brown and the lookout was good witnesses, but they let out, when the Judge questioned them, that Artie had the money in his sack before the trouble began and that Frenchy had a gun. And not a word about my presence of mind.
Artie allowed he wouldn’t cross-examine them. His Honor was riled. “Will you take the stand, sir?” he says.
Artie stretches. “Oh, no—I guess it’s not worth while to take up your time. Ugh—o—oaoh,” he says, yawning.
Judge was furious. “Prisoner, if you’ve got any witnesses in your defense, call ’em. As the evidence stands—up you go!”
Artie placed himself on top of his feet. “Your Honor,” he says “call Billy Edwards.”
Billy gives his name, sex, color, and other essentials. Then says Artie:
“You arrested me to-night?”
“Yes.”
“Was my gun loaded?”
“One of them was empty. The other one had five cartridges in it,” Edwards promptly asserts.