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第16节

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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

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