e had
started _after_ home."

"Yes; and did you notice the _gait_ in which he moved along; notice it
with your own eyes, Rebecca?"

"He was in the _gate_ of the woods pasture south of Mr. Bogle's when we
saw him last."

"Yes, and you are so wise and discerning, you can tell whether his
course across the field, was straight or crooked?"

"Crooked, sir."

"About how crooked? can you tell this court, Miss Teezle?"

"Crooked as your questions, sir," the confident girl replied; and
though the lawyer appealed to the court several times to "silence the
insolence" of this witness before she was through; the court protected
the witness and rebuked the lawyer for impertinent questions, and the
insolence he charged upon her.

Nancy Nimblet was called, and she testified that "She was with 'Becca
Ann Teezle, on the time specified, and she remembered it too, as if it
was yesterday; and the prisoner came from the direction of the
complainant's barn, with a log-chain round him, over his right
shoulder, and under his left arm." Lawyer Faddle declining her
cross-examination, Adonijah Nixon was called. He testified that Mr.
Bogle and he were second cousins. Cicero Bray objected to this as not
relevant; C. Fox Faddle insisted that it was relevant, and after some
arguing and sparring, the justice ruled it out. Then Mr. Nixon said,
"on Simon's having expressed to me a suspicion that Jared had taken the
chain, I went with him to Jared's house and found the chain which you
see before you."

Seneca Waldron and Crispus Flaxman were called; but their evidence was
challenged and ruled out for non-age.

G. W. Pugg was called, and no one answered. G. W. _Pugg_, repeated the
magistrate, slighting the initials and laying most emphasis on the
name. No one answered; but two persons in the corner, a father and
son, exchanged significant glances and looked very acute and wise. The
Squire raised his voice, and let it fall like an auctioneer's hammer on
the name.

"G. W. _Pugg_--is Mr. _Pugg_ in the room?"

At that imperative question, the gray-skirted, bushy-headed,
grog-bruising hunter of a father in the corner, rose and said, "Call
'im George _Washintun_, then I guess he'll cum!"

"_George_ WASHINGTON PUGG; will you come and testify?" said the Squire
with an emphasis on all the names, but rising and fairly hammering the
last; when a greedy-eyed, brockle-faced, over-grown blade of seventeen
opened up like a flax-brake, and loped fo