Part 12 (1/2)
”I heard so, ”that the old ht in old Davenport's face, and told hi liar I want to know if he can sue him, squire?”
”Why, as to that,” answered Miller, who being appealed to on a question of law, conceived it necessary to show his learning, ”if adistance, I can sue hih he shouldn't touch me That I call one of the nice pints of the law I decided so myself in the case of Samuel Pond _versus_ Ezekiel Backus You see Pond and Backus had a little quarrel about soot mad, and told Backus he lied
Backus is rather hasty, and doubled up his fist, and put it near Pond's nose, and insinuated that if he said that again he would knock him down” Here the squire paused, and looked round to see what i on his audience, and theto observe:
”That Pond's a mean cuss”
The justice took no further notice of honest Tom's not very cory surprise, which the other endured with complete indifference
”So,” continued Squire Miller, ”Pond went to Lawyer Tippit, and he brought the suit before me Backus pleaded his own case, but he had a fool for a client; the laas all against him, and I had to fine him a dollar and cost”
”That's considerable to pay,” exclai such a fellow's nose as Sam Pond's (I've heard of the case afore), but you ain't said nothing, squire, about calling a man a liar”
”Well,” said Squire Miller, ”that's e call a ued once by Lawyer Ketchum and Lawyer Tippit Lawyer Tippit was the affirative Lawyer Tippit's principle was in _medio pessimus ibis_, while Lawyer Ketchum held _qui facit per alien facit per se_ They, therefore, couldn't agree, they were so wide apart, you see So they separated without either giving up, though I think Lawyer Tippit had a little the best of the argu or two,” said the fisherman, in a low tone
Here Squire Miller handed to Mr Jenkins twelve and a half cents, for the four glasses of Jamaica he had drank, a portion of which soot into his last speech, and took his leave
He had hardly left the store ho should co in his hand a black staff, ”having a head with the are of his office, as provided by law, and which he was required to carry ”upon proper occasions” Soment of the constable, evidently arisen, else it would not now be forthco
He was a bullet-headed, carroty-haired little felloith a snub nose and eyes so diht they emitted, they would have been undiscernible The expression of his face was like that of a wiry terrier, being derived partly from his occupation, which, in his opinion, required hi out offenders as the aforesaid peppery aniift of nature But though the person of Basset was small, such was not his opinion of himself That was in an inverse ratio to his size, and at once the source of his highest joys, and, sooth to say, of an occasional reatly preponderated, and, on the whole, it was a pleasure to a benevolent mind to look at him, if for no other reason than to consider how norance
As soon as Gladding set his eyes on the constable, he hailed hi to do thiswith that are stick?”
The constable did not e of an office which he esteehtly spoken of and degraded to a common stick; he, therefore, replied so, you don't see the head of”I know old Authority-by-the-State-of-Connecticut ahis head, I rather think But what are you up to now?”
Basset, who, though no Solomon, had too much wit to admit every one into his confidence, answered:
”O, nothing; I was only looking for Squire Miller”
”Why,” said Gladding, ”he only left the store a in old Holden?”
”Why,” said Basset, ”what ,an intention to arrest Holden, and knowing the constable's cowardice, was determined to play upon his fears, ”I shouldn't like to be in your skin when you go for to take him”
”I'd like to see the man ould dare to resist when I showed hiuess I'd make him cry copeevy in less than no ti, who all this while had been leisurely whittling a bit of white pine, ”well, Basset, you know your own business best, and I'm not a man to interfere My principle is, let every man skin his own skunks You haint no wife nor children, have you?”
”No,” said Basset ”What lad to hear it I always think it judgot no family; 'cause, if any accident should happen, 'twouldn't be of soclear,” said Basset
”You'll catch it clear enough, I guess,” answered Gladding, ”if Holden gits hold o' ye”
”Now, Tohten _ to work
”I never had sich an idea,” said To character Did you never hear tell of Kidd the pirate, and his treasures, ever so s and watches, and all sorts o' trinkets and notions, buried so shore, or perhaps on the old fellow's island? Folks does say that when it was kivered, two men was murdered on the spot, so that their sperits should watch it, and hender other folks fro on't