min' out of this disgraceful place, when
I took a headlong dive and struck the earth so hard, I must have made
a bulge in China. Two unmannerly ijuts that happened to see me,
instead of expressin' sorrer for my mishap, broke out laughin', and in
my righteous indignation, I asked them a emphatic question."

"Ord'narily," observed the Court, "your explanation would do. In the
old times, nothin' would have been said if you'd drawed your gun and
give 'em a lesson in manners, but that aint the question afore the
house: Why did you do it in the presence of the angel?"

"Didn't see her till after the crime was committed."

"But why didn't you look fur her to larn whether she was in sight or
was liable to hear your shocking words?"

"Didn't think of it."

"Your reply only aggervates the offence. If any man feels that he must
swear or bust, he must bust, purvided the little one is in sight; or
he must hold in till he can climb on top of the rocks, or creep among
the foothills where he's sure of being alone. The Court hain't any
'bjection to your thinking all the cuss words you want to, but you
mus'n't speak 'em when she's about. You understand the position of the
Court?"

"I'd be a fool if I didn't," growled the accused.

"It's onnecessary to understand 'em in order to be a fool, Mr.
Bidwell, but how 'bout your second offence, when you used the word
'thunder,' and addressed it to the gal herself?"

The prisoner felt that nothing could be said in palliation of this
charge.

"That _was_ bad bus'ness, I'll confess; but I was so disgusted with
myself that I didn't know what I was doing or saying; the words come
out afore I had time to pull myself together. I was so afeard of
adding something still worser that I just rushed off to git out of
danger."

[Illustration: AS HE PICKED HIMSELF UP, HE DEMANDED IN THE NAME OF THE
PRESIDING GENIUS OF HADES WHAT THEY SAW TO LAUGH AT.--PAGE 43.]

"There's where you showed the first grain of sense the Court ever
knowed you to show. If I had been in your place, I would have jumped
off the rocks, into the kenyon, two thousand feet below. If you'd done
that you'd been saved the disgrace of being put on trial in this
honorable Court. Gents," added Ruggles, glancing from the prisoner
into the expectant faces, "since the man owns up, it rests with you to
fix the penalty for his crime of bigamous murder."

The prisoner resumed his seat and the chairman looked around, as an
invitation for