"If you made a mistake why don't you correct it?" the judge demanded. "Why waste the time of this court?"
Madrid pointed at Willie with his thumb. "Because this mule-head won't admit it. He insists on this hearing."
The judge turned sternly to Willie.
"I want P-Pinky B-Bronklin ch-charged and t-tried," Willie said.
"Charged with what?"
Willie told what had happened the night before. The judge asked a question or two and then told Pinky to tell his side of it.
Protesting that he was in this trouble because of his kindness to a drunk, Pinky rattled off a remarkable story. When he went up to his room after closing the saloon, he said, he had forgotten about O'Hara's being there. He had maybe had a nip too much himself, he admitted, and he had been given a scare by something or somebody crawling around in the dark. He had grabbed a length of pipe which happened to be handy and had cautiously approached the crawler, who was now lying still. Just then Willie had come through the window.
"There were t-two l-lamps burning in that room," Willie put in.
"You're a liar!" Pinky said.
"Now, now, now!" Judge Badger said. "We won't have any more of that."