ven
ridiculous. As he stooped to deposit at his feet a heavy carpetbag he
was carrying, it became obvious, from partially developed legends and
inscriptions, that the material with which his trousers had been patched
had been originally intended for a less ambitious covering. Yet he
advanced with great gravity, and after having shaken the hand of each
person in the room with labored cordiality, he wiped his serious,
perplexed face on a red bandanna handkerchief, a shade lighter than his
complexion, laid his powerful hand upon the table to steady himself, and
thus addressed the Judge:

"I was passin' by," he began, by way of apology, "and I thought I'd
just step in and see how things was gittin' on with Tennessee thar--my
pardner. It's a hot night. I disremember any sich weather before on the
Bar."

He paused a moment, but nobody volunteering any other meteorological
recollection, he again had recourse to his pocket handkerchief, and for
some moments mopped his face diligently.

"Have you anything to say in behalf of the prisoner?" said the Judge,
finally.

"Thet's it," said Tennessee's Partner, in a tone of relief. "I come yar
as Tennessee's pardner--knowing him nigh on four year, off and on, wet
and dry, in luck and out o' luck. His ways ain't allers my ways, but
thar ain't any p'ints in that young man, thar ain't any liveliness
as he's been up to, as I don't know. And you sez to me, sez
you--confidential-like, and between man and man--sez you, 'Do you know
anything in his behalf?' and I sez to you, sez I--confidential-like, as
between man and man--'What should a man know of his pardner?'"

"Is this all you have to say?" asked the Judge impatiently, feeling,
perhaps, that a dangerous sympathy of humor was beginning to humanize
the Court.

"Thet's so," continued Tennessee's Partner. "It ain't for me to say
anything agin' him. And now, what's the case? Here's Tennessee wants
money, wants it bad, and doesn't like to ask it of his old pardner.
Well, what does Tennessee do? He lays for a stranger, and he fetches
that stranger. And you lays for HIM, and you fetches HIM; and the
honors is easy. And I put it to you, bein' a far-minded man, and to you,
gentlemen, all, as far-minded men, ef this isn't so."

"Prisoner," said the Judge, interrupting, "have you any questions to ask
this man?"

"No! no!" continued Tennessee's Partner, hastily. "I play this yer hand
alone. To come down to the bedrock, it's just this: Tenne