"Ah, Mr. Peterson!" said the lawyer. "And our old and dear friend William Snoke, too! I thought I recognized you this morning! And now, please excuse our old and dear friend Mr. Peterson for a moment's consultation." "Dis bane gude pless," said Pete. "Crack ahead!" "This is a private matter, gentlemen," said Jackleg. "Shall we withdraw?" asks Lungy. "No!" yells Pete. "You stay--be vitness!" "I wish to remind you, dear Mr. Peterson," said he as we sort of settled in our places, "that your criminal assault and robbery of me has subjected you to a long term in prison. And I suffered great damage by interruption of business, and bodily and mental anguish from the wounds, contusions and lesions inflicted, and especially from the compound fracture of the inferior maxillary bone--" "Dat bane lie!" said Pete. "Ay yust broke your yaw!" "He admits the _corpus delicti_!" yelled the lawyer. "Gentlemen, bear witness!" "I didn't hear any such thing," said Lungy. "Neither did I," I said. "I figure my damages," he went on, "at twelve thousand dollars." Pete picked a thorn out of his finger. "Now, Mr. Peterson," went on the lawyer, "I don't suppose you have the cash. But when I have stood up and fought for a man for pure friendship and a mere contingent fee, I learn to love him. I would fain save you from prison, if you would so act as to enable me to acquit you of felonious intent. A prison is a fearful place, Mr. Peterson!" "Ay tank," said Pete, "Ay brace up an' stand pat!" "If you would do anything," pleaded the Jackleg, "to show good intention, turn over to me any papers you may have, no matter how worthless--notes, or--or certificates!" Pete pulled out his wallet. Lungy turned pale. "Take dis," said Pete. "Dis bane order fer six dollar Yohn Yohnson's wages. Ay bane gude fallar!" "Thanks!" said the Jackleg, pious-like. "And _is_ that long document the certificate of sale in Peterson _vs._ Golden Fountain, etc.?" "Dat bane marryin' papers," said Pete. "Dat spine paper bane N. G. Mae spine all tem O. K. Dat leg-yerkin' bane yust effidence. Ay take spine paper to start camp-fire!" It was as good as a play. Lungy turned pale and trembled. The lawyer went up in the air and told the sheriff to arrest Pete, and appealed to the widow to give up the certificate, and she got sore at Pete, and called him a Norwegian fool for burning it, and cuffed the bigger kid, which was more Irish-looking. Pete dug his toe into the ground and looked ashamed and mumbled something about it not being his spine. The sheriff told Pete to come along, and I asked him to show his warrant. He made a bluff at looking in his clothes for it, and rode away with his countenance tight-closed. Lungy and I rode off the other way. That night Lungy smiled weakly as I started the fire with paper. "Bill," said he, "I shall never burn paper without thinking how near I came to paradise and dropped plump--" "Oh, I forgot," said I. "Here's that certificate."