fense, for if we should unmuzzle you you would
split our ears with your bellowing, but I'll see that you have a lawyer
presently, and a famous good one, too!"

He went and got three chairs and placed them in a row, forming what it
pleased him to call the court, he sitting in the middle with one of
his followers on either hand. When all three were seated he arose
and commenced to speak, at first ironically aping the gravity of the
magistrate, but soon launching into a tirade of blood-thirsty invective.

"I have the honor to be at the same time President of the Court and
Public Prosecutor. That, I am aware, is not strictly in order, but there
are not enough of us to fill all the roles. I accuse you, therefore,
of entering France to play the spy on us, recompensing us for our
hospitality with the most abominable treason. It is to you to whom we
are principally indebted for our recent disasters, for after the battle
of Nouart you guided the Bavarians across the wood of Dieulet by night
to Beaumont. No one but a man who had lived a long time in the country
and was acquainted with every path and cross-road could have done it,
and on this point the conviction of the court is unalterable; you were
seen conducting the enemy's artillery over roads that had become lakes
of liquid mud, where eight horses had to be hitched to a single gun
to drag it out of the slough. A person looking at those roads would
hesitate to believe that an army corps could ever have passed over them.
Had it not been for you and your criminal action in settling among us
and betraying us the surprise of Beaumont would have never been, we
should not have been compelled to retreat on Sedan, and perhaps in
the end we might have come off victorious. I will say nothing of the
disgusting career you have been pursuing since then, coming here in
disguise, terrorizing and denouncing the poor country people, so that
they tremble at the mention of your name. You have descended to a depth
of depravity beyond which it is impossible to go, and I demand from the
court sentence of death."

Silence prevailed in the room. He had resumed his seat, and finally,
rising again, said:

"I assign Ducat to you as counsel for the defense. He has been sheriff's
officer, and might have made his mark had it not been for his little
weakness. You see that I deny you nothing; we are disposed to treat you
well."

Goliah, who could not stir a finger, bent his eyes on his improvised
defe