"Yep; me and Cap Franklin, there."

"Who else?"

"Why, Juan, there, him. He was trailin' the hoss for us."

"Where did you go?"

"About sixty miles southwest, into the breaks of the Smoky."

"What did you find?"

"We found a old camp. Hoss had been tied there, and broke its lariat.
Bushes was broke some, but we didn't see no blood, as I know of."

"Never mind what you didn't see."

"Well, now--"

"Answer my question."

"Now, say, friend, you don't want to get too gay."

"Answer the question, Mr. Haskins," said the Court.

"Well, all right, judge; I'll do it to oblige you. The most we saw was
where a fire had been. Looked like a right smart fire. They was
plenty o' ashes layin' there."

"Did you see anything in the ashes?"

"What business is it o' yourn?"

"Now, now," said the Court, "you must answer the questions, Mr.
Haskins."

"All right, judge," said Curly. "Well, I dunno hardly what we did see
any mor'n what I tole all the boys when we first brought Juan in. I
tole you all."

"Correct the witness, your Honour," said Franklin.

"Answer only the questions, Mr. Haskins," said the Judge.

"Very well," said the prosecutor; "what did you see? Anything like a
man's figure?"

"We object!" said Franklin, but Curly answered: "Well, yes, it did look
like a feller a-layin' there. But when we touched it--"

"Never mind. Did the prisoner see this figure?"

"Shore."

"What did he do?"

"Well, he acted plumb _loco_. He gets down an' hollers. '_Madre de
Dios_!' he hollers. I 'low he wuz plenty scared."

"Did he look scared?"

"I object," cried Franklin.

"S'tained," said the judge.

"'Ception," said the prosecuting attorney.

"Well, what did the prisoner say or do?"

"Why, he crawls aroun' an' hollers. So we roped him, then. But
say--"

"Never mind."

"Well, I was--"

"Never mind. Did you--"

"Shore! I foun' the end o' the lariat tied to a tree."

"But did you--"

"Yes, I tole you! I foun' it tied. End just fits the broke end o' the
lariat onto the saddle, when the hoss come back. Them hide ropes ain't
no good."

"Never mind--"

"If ever they onct got rotten--"

"Never mind. Was that Greathouse's rope?"

"Maybe so. Now, them hide ropes--"

"Never mind about the hide ropes. I want to know what the prisoner
did."

"Well, when we roped him he didn't make no kick."

"Never mind. He saw the figure in the ashes?"

"What do you know about it?--you was