business and prepare for death; when it is banishment, a few hours are given him to leave the camp. If he neglects to comply with the sentence he is in danger of being summarily executed. Where the rights of parties are settled by the court, and the defeated party shows any resistance to the decision, it is the duty of the court, if necessary, with the strong hand to enforce it. The court is composed of the entire population. To guard against mistakes, the party in defeat, in all cases, has the right to demand a second vote. The progress of a trial in one of these courts is entirely practical. Often the miners announce at the commencement that the court must close at a certain hour. Cross-examinations are generally prohibited, and if lawyers are employed, it is with the understanding that they shall make no long arguments. Each party and their respective witnesses give their evidence in a plain, straightforward manner, and if any of the listeners desire information on a given point in the testimony they request the person acting as attorney to ask such questions as are necessary to obtain it. The decisions of these tribunals are seldom wrong, and are always enforced in good faith. They have many advantages in mining regions over courts at law. None of the tedious incidents of pleading, adjournment, amendment, demurrer, etc., which at law so often consume the time of litigants and put them to unnecessary expense, belong to a miners’ court. The miners themselves have little time to spare, and hence these courts are held on Sunday in all cases where the exigency is not immediate. They are held in the open air. Whenever, from any seemingly unnecessary cause, their investigations are prolonged, as by argumentative display, there are always those present who, by the command “Dry up,” “No spread-eagle talk,” force them to a close. On one occasion at Blackfoot, in Montana, a rough was on trial for crimes which endangered his life. A motion had been made by his counsel that his life be spared on condition that he would leave the gulch in fifteen minutes,—which motion was carried by a small majority. In anticipation of this favorable result his friends had provided a mule to expedite his departure. The presiding miners’ judge announced to him the condition of his freedom from death. Fearful that a reconsideration might be demanded, the moment he was released he vaulted into the saddle, and looking around upon the crowd exclaimed, “Fifteen minutes! Gentlemen, if this mule doesn’t buck, five will do!” and lashing the sides of the animal he disappeared at double-quick amid the shouts and laughter of the crowd.