Judge Garty accordingly went through the formality of putting Peternot under oath again, hearing the case, and pronouncing the prisoner discharged, all in about three minutes’ time. Then Peternot, with a grimace and a twinge, pulled out his pocket-book, and paid the following bill:—
| Costs of court | $2.35 |
| Mittimus, and binding over witnesses | .50 |
| Witnesses’ fees and travel (2 miles each, 5 cts. a mile) | 1.20 |
| Sheriff’s fee | 2.50 |
| Lock broken by sheriff after prisoner had locked up the court, and it became necessary for the court to get out | .25 |
| Window broken by ladder | .37 |
| _____ | |
| Total | $7.17 |
As Peternot and his nephew were the witnesses, the squire’s actual expenditures in the case amounted to five dollars and ninety-seven cents.
“Now!” said he, eager to be consoled for what had caused him such a pang, “for your part of the agreement, deacon!”
“Well, come with me,” said Mr. Chatford, with a peculiar smile. “The treasure ain’t far off.”
And, leading the way down the office stairs, to his buggy standing at the foot of them, he pulled up the seat, lifted a horse-blanket, and pulled from beneath it the squire’s meal-bag and its heavy freight of coin. Peternot grasped it eagerly.
“I must say, deacon, you’ve played this perty well! I’d no idee you had it with ye! I ’most wish you hadn’t made it quite so public, though,” for the usual village crowd had assembled. “I’m afraid—I—I ruther think I’ll take it over to the store and have it locked up in the safe.”
“You haven’t settled with the boy; what ye going to give the boy?” cried Sellick, comfortably patting his fee in his trousers-pocket.
“The boy!” echoed Peternot, a frown of displeasure clouding the sunshine which played for a moment over the barren and rocky waste of his features. “Arter all the trouble and expense he’s put me to? I said I’d be liberal, and I have been liberal. I’ve paid the costs of court, and got him off; for which he may thank his stars, and think himself lucky. I won’t be hard, though.” The squire put his hand into the bag, as if about to present Jack one of the rusty half-dollars; but changed his mind, and thrusting his hand into his pocket, took out a silver quarter. “Here! take that! I’ve nothin’ else to give ye.”
Jack laughed, took the coin, and immediately presented it to a shabby little old man in the crowd, who received it with quaint surprise.