“This ain’t Arkansas, an’ we are determined to put a stop to this shootin’ round every day,” said the Illinois man firmly. “It ain’t respectable and it stops quiet settlers from coming here to take farms. We are going to stop it.” “Then you should have stopped Jake Mills when he went to Mr. Cotterell’s and fired at him first,” said Olive quickly. “There’s somethin’ in that,” said the foreman, whose native gallantry led him to side with a pretty woman. “In a trial we hev to consider all the p’ints o’ the case. I consider that as for the horse-stealin’, that hes mostly broke down under evidence. We must now go into the other charge, which is shootin’ Jake Mills, an’ a damned scoundrel he was too.” The jury laughed pleasantly at this sally from the bench, or to speak more accurately from the sugar-barrel. Even Cotterell seemed a trifle amused, only Olive did not unknit her eyebrows, nor did the hard lines around her mouth in the least relax. “We are in consider’ble difficulty ’bout this here shootin’ case,” continued the foreman when the mirth had subsided, “and if I had knowed as that was all we was up for tryin’, I don’t reckon we ’ud all on us ha’ been here as is now collected together to maintain the rights an’ freedom o’ our country.” The jury murmured applause, upon recognising well-known Fourth of July phrases, which have perennial power to stir the American breast. “Why ain’t we agoin’ on with this blamed trial?” asked an impatient jury man. “We hev purty nigh lost a whole day’s work a’ready an’ hain’t finished nothin’ yit. When we strung up ole Howard for hoss-stealin’ we hed the job done clar up afore noon, an’ we could go home to dinner comfor’ble.” Olive gave a faint inarticulate cry and put her hands up to her ears, or was it perchance to her neck? Cotterell turned anxiously towards her as if she was going to faint, and he would catch her before she fell. She steadied herself in an instant and again faced the jury like a tiny lioness, small in body but with unconquerable courage. “Well, gen’lemen, I’m agreeable to proceed with the evidence,” said the foreman graciously. “I was told we had evidence o’ deliberate murder,” said the Illinois juror. “We most on us hearn what the nigger said,” remarked another carelessly, “some on us fooled roun’ with that yesterday an’ lost a fair half day’s work.” “Wal, gen’lemen, you could ha’ had the nigger again here to-day, on’y it was not considered necessary, as we was mostly of opinion to fin’ a true bill on the horse-stealin’ count. We can send for the nigger. He’s mos’ likely sneakin’ roun’ here. Them niggers is jes’ like buzzards, they can scent out where there’s a hangin’,—ahem, gen’lemen, we’ll proceed,” said the foreman, suddenly recollecting himself and Olive’s presence barely in time. “I vote for sending for the coloured man,” said the Illinois juror firmly. “We’ll confront him with the prisoner.”