en the speaker sat down. Then the Princess
spoke in a stern voice:

"Prisoner, what have you to say for yourself? Are you guilty, or not
guilty?"

"Why, that's for you to find out," replied Eureka. "If you can prove I'm
guilty, I'll be willing to die nine times, but a mind's eye is no proof,
because the Woggle-Bug has no mind to see with."

"Never mind, dear," said Dorothy.

Then the Tin Woodman arose and said:

"Respected Jury and dearly beloved Ozma, I pray you not to judge this
feline prisoner unfeelingly. I do not think the innocent kitten can be
guilty, and surely it is unkind to accuse a luncheon of being a murder.
Eureka is the sweet pet of a lovely little girl whom we all admire, and
gentleness and innocence are her chief virtues. Look at the kitten's
intelligent eyes;" (here Eureka closed her eyes sleepily) "gaze at her
smiling countenance!" (here Eureka snarled and showed her teeth) "mark
the tender pose of her soft, padded little hands!" (Here Eureka bared
her sharp claws and scratched at the bars of the cage.) "Would such a
gentle animal be guilty of eating a fellow creature? No; a thousand
times, no!"

"Oh, cut it short," said Eureka; "you've talked long enough."

"I'm trying to defend you," remonstrated the Tin Woodman.

"Then say something sensible," retorted the kitten. "Tell them it would
be foolish for me to eat the piglet, because I had sense enough to know
it would raise a row if I did. But don't try to make out I'm too
innocent to eat a fat piglet if I could do it and not be found out. I
imagine it would taste mighty good."

"Perhaps it would, to those who eat," remarked the Tin Woodman. "I
myself, not being built to eat, have no personal experience in such
matters. But I remember that our great poet once said:

"'To eat is sweet
When hunger's seat
Demands a treat
Of savory meat.'

"Take this into consideration, friends of the Jury, and you will readily
decide that the kitten is wrongfully accused and should be set at
liberty."

When the Tin Woodman sat down no one applauded him, for his arguments
had not been very convincing and few believed that he had proved
Eureka's innocence. As for the Jury, the members whispered to each other
for a few minutes and then they appointed the Hungry Tiger their
spokesman. The huge beast slowly arose and said:

"Kittens have no consciences, so they eat whatever pleases them. The
jury believes the white kitten known as Eureka is gu