"No!" yells Pete. "You stay—be vitness!"
"I wish to remind you, dear Mr. Peterson," said he as we sort of settled in our places, "that your criminal assault and robbery of me has subjected you to a long term in prison. And I suffered great damage by interruption of business, and bodily and mental anguish from the wounds, contusions and lesions inflicted, and especially from the compound fracture of the inferior maxillary bone—"
"Dat bane lie!" said Pete. "Ay yust broke your yaw!"
"He admits the corpus delicti!" yelled the lawyer. "Gentlemen, bear witness!"
"I didn't hear any such thing," said Lungy.
"Neither did I," I said.
"I figure my damages," he went on, "at twelve thousand dollars."
Pete picked a thorn out of his finger.
"Now, Mr. Peterson," went on the lawyer, "I don't suppose you have the cash. But when I have stood up and fought for a man for pure friendship and a mere contingent fee, I learn to love him. I would fain save you from prison, if you would so act as to enable me to acquit you of felonious intent. A prison is a fearful place, Mr. Peterson!"
"Ay tank," said Pete, "Ay brace up an' stand pat!"