to say"--repeating the answers already given;
"now just this question, did you see anything occur while the fight
was going on, or after it was over, that would lead you to believe
that this defendant had bitten off the ear of the prosecuting
witness?"

The Squire, half down the witness stand, answered, "No, sir, nothing
uv the kind," then, slowly and thoughtfully, "nothing uv the kind."
A moment's pause. "Well, since you mention it, I do remember that
just as Billy rizened up offen him the last time, I seed him spit out
a piece of ear, _but whose ear it was,_ I don't pertend to know."

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

In the good County of Scotland, in the State of Missouri, back
in the ante-bellum days there lived one Solomon Davis, whose chronic
horror was card-playing. The evils of this life were in his judgment
largely to be attributed to this terrible habit. It was his belief
that if the Grand Jury would only take hold of the matter in the
right spirit, a stop could be put to the "nefarious habit of
_card-playing,_ which was ruining the morals of so many young men in
Scotland County." This was the burden of his discourse in and out
of season. His ardent desire that he himself should be called
on the Grand Jury to the accomplishment of the end mentioned was
at length gratified. At a certain term of court he was not only
summoned upon the Grand Jury, but duly appointed its foreman.

Upon the adjournment of court for dinner, immediately thereafter, one
Ben Mason, the wit of the bar,--and not himself wholly _unacquainted_
with the pastime that involved spades, kings, and even queens,--
ardently congratulated the new foreman upon his appointment, assuring
him that now his opportunity had come to put to an end, by the
omnipotent power of the Grand Jury, "to the nefarious habit of
card-playing which was ruining the morals of so many young men in
Scotland County."

"And now, Squire," continued Ben, "I can give you the name of a
gentleman who doesn't play himself, but is always around where
playing is going on, and he can tell you who plays, where they
play, how much is bet, and all about it."

Delighted at this apparently providential revelation, the Squire
had a subpoena forthwith issued for the witness mentioned, one
Ranzey Sniffle, a half-witted fellow who had never taken or expected
to take a part in the game himself, but whose cup of happiness was
full to the brim when, in return for punching up the fires, mix