hink of an
act so unmanly?"

"Why, at Stunin'tun, we think him the smartest who gets the easiest
out of any difficulty; and I don't well see why Miss Poke should know
it--or, if she did, why she should think the worse of her husband, for
saving his life."

"Away with these unworthy thoughts, and brace yourself to meet
the trial. We shall, at least, get some insight into the Leaphigh
jurisprudence. Come, I see you are already dressed for the occasion; let
us be as prompt as duellists."

Noah made up his mind to submit with dignity; although he lingered in
the great square, in order to study the clouds, in a way to show he
might have settled the whole affair with the fore-topsail, had he
known where to find his crew. Fortunately for the reputations of
all concerned, however, he did not; and, discarding everything like
apprehension from his countenance, the sturdy mariner entered the Old
Bailey with the tread of a man and the firmness of innocence. I ought to
have said sooner, that we had received notice early in the morning, that
the proceedings had been taken from before the pages, on appeal, and
that a new venue had been laid in the High Criminal Court of Leaphigh.

Brigadier Downright met us at the door; where also a dozen grave,
greasy-looking counsellors gathered about us, in a way to show that they
were ready to volunteer in behalf of the stranger, on receiving no more
than the customary fee. But I had determined to defend Noah myself (the
court consenting) for I had forebodings that our safety would depend
more on an appeal to the rights of hospitality, than on any legal
defence it was in our power to offer. As the brigadier kindly
volunteered to aid me for nothing, I thought proper not to refuse his
services, however.

I pass over the appearance of the court, the empanelling of the jury,
and the arraignment; for, in matters of mere legal forms, there is no
great difference between civilized countries, all of them wearing the
same semblance of justice. The first indictment, for unhappily there
were two, charged Noah with having committed an assault, with malice
prepense, on the king's dignity, with "sticks, daggers, muskets,
blunderbusses, air-guns, and other unlawful weapons, more especially
with the tongue, in that he had accused his majesty, face to face, with
having a memory, etc., etc." The other indictment, repeating the formula
of the first, charged the honest sealer with feloniously accusing her
maje