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And　thus　was　Sol　Witberg　given　a　liberal　education　in　the　art

of　perjury。　Often；　from　his　high　seat；　he　had　listened

indulgently　to　police　court　perjuries　in　cooked…up　cases；　but

for　the　first　time　perjury　was　directed　against　him；　and　he　no

longer　sat　above　the　court；　with　the　bailiffs；　the　Policemen's

clubs；　and　the　prison　cells　behind　him。



〃Your　Honor；〃　he　cried；　〃never　have　I　heard　such　a　pack　of　lies

told　by　so　bare…faced　a　liar！'



Watson　here　sprang　to　his　feet。



〃Your　Honor；　I　protest。　It　is　for　your　Honor　to　decide　truth　or

falsehood。　The　witness　is　on　the　stand　to　testify　to　actual

events　that　have　transpired。　His　personal　opinion　upon　things

in　general；　and　upon　me；　has　no　bearing　on　the　case　whatever。〃



The　Justice　scratched　his　head　and　waxed　phlegmatically

indignant。



〃The　point　is　well　taken；〃　he　decided。　〃I　am　surprised　at　you；

Mr。　Witberg；　claiming　to　be　a　judge　and　skilled　in　the　practice

of　the　law；　and　yet　being　guilty　of　such　unlawyerlike　conduct。

Your　manner；　sir；　and　your　methods；　remind　me　of　a　shyster。

This　is　a　simple　case　of　assault　and　battery。　We　are　here　to

determine　who　struck　the　first　blow；　and　we　are　not　interested

in　your　estimates　of　Mr。　Watson's　personal　character。　Proceed

with　your　story。〃



Sol　Witberg　would　have　bitten　his　bruised　and　swollen　lip　in

chagrin；　had　it　not　hurt　so　much。　But　he　contained　himself　and

told　a　simple；　straightforward；　truthful　story。



〃Your　Honor；〃　Watson　said；　〃I　would　suggest　that　you　ask　him

what　he　was　doing　on　my　premises。〃



〃A　very　good　question。　What　were　you　doing；　sir；　on　Mr。

Watson's　premises？〃



〃I　did　not　know　they　were　his　premises。〃



〃It　was　a　trespass；　your　Honor；〃　Watson　cried。　〃The　warnings

are　posted　conspicuously。〃



〃I　saw　no　warnings；〃　said　Sol　Witberg。



〃I　have　seen　them　myself；〃　snapped　the　Justice。　〃They　are　very

conspicuous。　And　I　would　warn　you；　sir；　that　if　you　palter　with

the　truth　in　such　little　matters　you　may　darken　your　more

important　statements　with　suspicion。　Why　did　you　strike　Mr。

Watson？〃



〃Your　Honor；　as　I　have　testified；　I　did　not　strike　a　blow。〃



The　Justice　looked　at　Carter　Watson's　bruised　and　swollen

visage；　and　turned　to　glare　at　Sol　Witberg。



〃Look　at　that　man's　cheek！〃　he　thundered。　〃If　you　did　not

strike　a　blow　how　comes　it　that　he　is　so　disfigured　and

injured？〃



〃As　I　testified〃



〃Be　careful；〃　the　Justice　warned。



〃I　will　be　careful；　sir。　I　will　say　nothing　but　the　truth。　He

struck　himself　with　a　rock。　He　struck　himself　with　two

different　rocks。〃



〃Does　it　stand　to　reason　that　a　man；　any　man　not　a　lunatic；

would　so　injure　himself；　and　continue　to　injure　himself；　by

striking　the　soft　and　sensitive　parts　of　his　face　with　a

stone？〃　Carter　Watson　demanded



〃It　sounds　like　a　fairy　story；〃　was　the　Justice's　comment。



〃Mr。　Witberg；　had　you　been　drinking？〃



〃No；　sir。〃



〃Do　you　never　drink？〃



〃On　occasion。〃



The　Justice　meditated　on　this　answer　with　an　air　of　astute

profundity。



Watson　took　advantage　of　the　opportunity　to　wink　at　Sol

Witberg；　but　that　much…abused　gentleman　saw　nothing　humorous　in

the　situation。



〃A　very　peculiar　case；　a　very　peculiar　case；〃　the　Justice

announced；　as　he　began　his　verdict。　〃The　evidence　of　the　two

parties　is　flatly　contradictory。　There　are　no　witnesses　outside

the　two　principals。　Each　claims　the　other　committed　the

assault；　and　I　have　no　legal　way　of　determining　the　truth。　But

I　have　my　private　opinion；　Mr。　Witberg；　and　I　would　recommend

that　henceforth　you　keep　off　of　Mr。　Watson's　premises　and　keep

away　from　this　section　of　the　country〃



〃This　is　an　outrage！〃　Sol　Witberg　blurted　out。



〃Sit　down；　sir！〃　was　the　Justice's　thundered　command。　〃If　you

interrupt　the　Court　in　this　manner　again；　I　shall　fine　you　for

contempt。　And　I　warn　you　I　shall　fine　you　heavilyyou；　a　judge

yourself；　who　should　be　conversant　with　the　courtesy　and

dignity　of　courts。　I　shall　now　give　my　verdict：



〃It　is　a　rule　of　law　that　the　defendant　shall　be　given　the

benefit　of　the　doubt。　As　I　have　said；　and　I　repeat；　there　is　no

legal　way　for　me　to　determine　who　struck　the　first　blow。

Therefore；　and　much　to　my　regret；〃here　he　paused　and　glared

at　Sol　Witberg〃in　each　of　these　cases　I　am　compelled　to　give

the　defendant　the　benefit　of　the　doubt。　Gentlemen；　you　are　both

dismissed。〃



〃Let　us　have　a　nip　on　it；〃　Watson　said　to　Witberg；　as　they　left

the　courtroom；　but　that　outraged　person　refused　to　lock　arms

and　amble　to　the　nearest　saloon。







WINGED　BLACKMAIL



PETER　WINN　lay　back　comfortably　in　a　library　chair；　with　closed

eyes；　deep　in　the　cogitation　of　a　scheme　of　campaign　destined

in　the　near　future　to　make　a　certain　coterie　of　hostile

financiers　sit　up。　The　central　idea　had　come　to　him　the　night

before；　and　he　was　now　reveling　in　the　planning　of　the　remoter；

minor　details。　By　obtaining　control　of　a　certain　up…country

bank；　two　general　stores；　and　several　logging　camps；　he　could

come　into　control　of　a　certain　dinky　jerkwater　line　which　shall

here　be　nameless；　but　which；　in　his　hands；　would　prove　the　key

to　a　vastly　larger　situation　involving　more　main…line　mileage

almost　than　there　were　spikes　in　the　aforesaid　dinky　jerkwater。

It　was　so　simple　that　he　had　almost　laughed　aloud　when　it　came

to　him。　No　wonder　those　astute　and　ancient　enemies　of　his　had

passed　it　by。　



The　library　door　opened；　and　a　slender；　middle…aged　man；

weak…eyed　and　eye　glassed；　entered。　In　his　hands　was　an

envelope　and　an　open　letter。　As　Peter　Winn's　secretary　it　was

his　task　to　weed　out；　sort；　and　classify　his　employer's　mail。



〃This　came　in　the　morning　post；〃　he　ventured　apologetically　and

with　the　hint　of　a　titter。　〃Of　course　it　doesn't　amount　to

anything；　but　I　thought　you　would　like　to　see　it。〃



〃Read　it；〃　Peter　Winn　commanded；　without　opening　his　eyes。



The　secretary　cleared　his　throat。



〃It　is　dated　July　seventeenth；　but　is　without　address。　Postmark

San　Francisco。　It　is　also　quite　illiterate。　The　spelling　is

atrocious。　Here　it　is：



Mr。　Peter　Winn；

SIR：　I　send　you　respectfully　by　express　a　pigeon　worth　good

money。　She's　a　loo…loo〃



〃What　is　a　loo…loo？〃　Peter　Winn　interrupted。



The　secretary　tittered。



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know；　except　that　it　must　be　a　superlative　of

some　sort。　The　letter　continues：



Please　freight　it　with　a　couple　of　thousand…dollar　bills　and

let　it　go。　If　you　do　I　wont　never　annoy　you　no　more。　If　you

dont　you　will　be　sorry。　



〃That　is　all。　It　is　unsigned。　I　thought　it　would　amuse　you。〃



〃Has　the　pigeon　come？〃　Peter　Winn　demanded。



〃I'm　sure　I　never　thought　to　enquire。〃



〃Then　do　so。〃



In　five　minutes　the　secretary　was　back。



〃Yes；　sir。　It　came　this　morning。〃



〃Then　bring　it　in。〃



The　secretary　was　inclined　to　take　the　affair　as　a　practical

joke；　but　Peter　Winn；　after　an　examination　of　the　pigeon；

thought　otherwise。



〃Look　at　it；〃　he　said；　stroking　and　handling　it。　〃See　the

length　of　the　body　and　that　elongated　neck。　A　proper　carrier。　I

doubt　if　I've　ever　seen　a　finer　specimen。　Powerfully　winged　and

muscled。　As　our　unknown　correspondent　remarked；　she　is　a

loo…loo。　It's　a　temptation　to　keep　her。〃



The　secretary　tittered。



〃Why　not？　Surely　you　will　not　let　it　go　back　to　the　writer　of

that　letter。〃



Peter　Winn　shook　his　head。



〃I'll　answer。　No　man　can　threaten　me；　even　anonymously　or　in

foolery。〃



On　a　slip　of　paper　he　wrote　the　succinct　message；　〃Go　to　hell；〃

signed　it；　and　placed　it　in　the　carrying　apparatus　with　which

the　bird　had　been　thoughtfully　supplied。



〃Now　we'll　let　her　loose。　Where's　my　son？　I'd　like　him　to　see

the　flight。〃



〃He's　down　in　the　workshop。　He　slept　there　last　night；　and　had

his　breakfast　sent　down　this　morning。〃



〃He'll　break　his　neck　yet；〃　Peter　Winn　remarked；　half…fiercely；

half…proudly；　as　he　led　the　way　to　the　veranda。



Standing　at　the　head　of　the　broad　steps；　he　tossed　the　pretty

creature　outward　and　upward。　She　caught　herself　with　a　quick

beat　of　wings；　fluttered　about　undecidedly　for　a　space；　then

rose　in　the　air。



Again；　high　up；　there　seemed　indecision；　then；　apparently

getting　her　bearings；　she　headed　east；　over　the　oak…trees　that

dotted　the　park…like　grounds。



〃Beautiful；　beautiful；〃　Peter　Winn　murmured。　〃I　almost　wish　I

had　her　back。〃



But　Peter　Winn　was　a　very　busy　man；　with　such　large　plans　in

his　head　and　with　so　many　reins　in　his　hands　that　he　quickly

forgot　the　incident。　Three　nights　later　the　left　wing　of　his

country　house　was　blown　up。　It　was　not　a　heavy　explosion；　and

nobody　was　hurt；　though　the　wing　itself　was　ruined。　Most　of　the

windows　of　the　rest　of　the　house　were　broken；　and　there　was　a

deal　of　general　damage。　By　the　first　ferry　boat　of　the　morning

half　a　dozen　San　Francisco　detectives　arrived；　and　several