exclaim. "What's the use of raising a rum

   pus? It wasn't nothing but bird shot. Folks don't go murdering folks with bird shot."

   "Don't care if 't was bird shot!" came Abijah's snapping tones. "Don't care if 't was pin-heads; principle's the same."

   "It is, it is!" admitted Solomon, in his soul.

   "Well," said Hiram, with a common sense in which Mr. Peaslee took comfort, "the practical effect is mighty different. Gentlemen," he added to the jurors, "I can't see that we've got any call to go any further with this. Peaslee was just shooting at a cat. I don't see the

   sense of taking up the time of the court and makin' expense for any such foolishness. I say we'd better dismiss young Edwards's case, and Peaslee's along with it. It's such fool doings, I think we'd better, if only to keep folks from laughing at the grand jury."

   Solomon's heart was in his mouth. Would the others take this view—or Keith's?

   "Oily talk, dretful oily talk!" came Abijah's fierce pipe. "Don't take any stock in 't. Shot him, didn't he? Grand juror—what difference does that make? If they ain't fit, weed 'em out—weed 'em out!"

   "Fit?" said Hiram. "It took some spunk to get up there and tell just what a fool he'd been, didn't—"

   "Humph!" Abijah interrupted, with a snort. "Had to, didn't he? Farnsworth asked him where he was, didn't he? Had to squirm out somehow, didn't he? Got about as much spine as a taller candle with the wick drawed out, accordin' to his own showin'. Better weed him out, better weed him out! Humph!"

   Poor Mr. Peaslee sank still lower in his chair; his head fell still lower on his chest. They were taking away from him even the credit of voluntary confession. Why had

   Farnsworth asked that question? In casting doubt upon his one brave deed fate seemed to him to have done its worst.

   "He'd got up before I put the question," said Farnsworth.

   He wished to be just. But he was indignant with Peaslee. After his first laughter, his thoughts had dwelt upon the trouble that Solomon had brought upon the innocent Jim, "just to save his own hide, the old—skee-zicks!" he exclaimed to himself.

 

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