American fiction -- 19th century; California -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Short stories; Western stories
“We're finding in this yere piece, out o' which the Kernel hes just bin
a-quotin', some language that me and my pardners allow hadn't orter be
read out afore a young lady in court, and we want to know of you--ez a
fa'r-minded and impartial man--ef this is the reg'lar kind o' book given
to gals and babies down at the meetin'-house.”
“The jury will please follow the counsel's speech without comment,” said
the Judge briefly, fully aware that the defendant's counsel would spring
to his feet, as he did promptly.
“The Court will allow us to explain to the gentlemen that the language
they seem to object to has been accepted by the best theologians for
the last thousand years as being purely mystic. As I will explain later,
those are merely symbols of the Church”--
“Of wot?” interrupted the foreman, in deep scorn.
“Of the Church!”
“We ain't askin' any questions o' YOU, and we ain't takin' any answers,”
said the foreman, sitting down abruptly.
“I must insist,” said the Judge sternly, “that the plaintiff's counsel
be allowed to continue his opening without interruption. You” (to
defendant's counsel) “will have your opportunity to reply later.”
The counsel sank down in his seat with the bitter conviction that the
jury was manifestly against him, and the case as good as lost. But his
face was scarcely as disturbed as his client's, who, in great agitation,
had begun to argue with him wildly, and was apparently pressing some
point against the lawyer's vehement opposal. The Colonel's murky eyes
brightened as he still stood erect, with his hand thrust in his breast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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