“Wal, whiles we war palaverin’, in kim the dog, wi’ somethin’ tied roun’ his neck—the which, on bein’ ’zamined, proved to be the mowstanger’s curd. Thur war words on it; wrote in red ink, which I seed to be blood.
“Them words tolt to whosomedever shed read ’em, whar the young fellur war to be foun’.
“I went thar, takin’ the other two—thet air Pheelum an the houn’—along wi’ me.
“We got to the groun’ jest in time to save the mowstanger from hevin’ his guts clawed out by one o’ them ere spotted painters—the Mexikins call tigers—tho’ I’ve heern the young fellur hisself gie ’em the name o’ Jug-wars.
“I put a bullet through the brute; an thet wur the eend o’ it.
“Wal, we tuk the mowstanger to his shanty. We hed to toat him thar on a sort o’ streetcher; seein’ as he wan’t able to make trades o’ hisself. Beside, he wur as much out o’ his senses as a turkey gobber at treadin’ time.
“We got him hum; an thur he stayed, till the sarchers kim to the shanty an foun’ him.”
The witness makes pause: as if pondering within himself, whether he should relate the series of extraordinary incidents that took place during his stay at the jacalé. Would it be for the benefit of the accused to leave them untold? He resolves to be reticent.
This does not suit the counsel for the prosecution, who proceeds to cross-examine him.
It results in his having to give a full and particular account of everything that occurred—up to the time of the prisoner being taken out of his hands, and incarcerated in the guard-house.