Read Online The Big Sky by A. B. Guthrie Jr. - Free Book Online Page A

pole did, and slapped each other and whooped while Judge Test pounded. The judge's eyes flashed redly, but the cold-eyed man just grinned at him and by and by the judge swallowed and made himself grin, too. A man brought in a block of wood, and they set the end of the bench on.it, and Judge Test lowered himself slowly, trying it out. "All right, Eggleston," he said, "if you're through with your funnin'," and the cold-eyed man said, "Come around, sheriff."
    The sheriff handed Old Sure Shot to another man and came over and sat down in a chair beside the judges' bench, facing the crowd.
    Eggleston asked, "You are Mark York, sheriff of Orange county?"
    "Sure."
    A thumb motioned toward Boone. "Ever see this defendant before?"
    "Sure."
    "When and where?"
    "First time, he went sneakin' around me, on the Greenville road. That was about noon."
    "What were you doing there?"
    "Matt Elliott got a cow stole. I was coming from there."
    "What do you mean when you say he sneaked around you?"
    "He left the road and circled behind me. I just got a flash of him makin' off."
    "Do you know any reason why he would want to sneak by you?"
    Squire Beecher jumped up. "Objection!"
    Eggleston said, "Oh, all right," and went on. "When did you see him for the second time?"
    "Up the road a piece. He had this here gentleman down and was gougin' him."
    "They were fighting?"
    "Sure."
    "Who would you say was the aggressor?"
    "This young feller here was on top."
    Squire Beecher cried "Objection!" again. Judge Test looked at him, then said, "This court isn't going to tie itself up with a lot of fiddle-faddle. It's the truth we want. Go ahead, Eggleston."
    "And you brought them in?"
    "Sure." He pointed at Boone. "He was fixin' to get the gentleman's horse and outfit."
    "Objection!"
    Eggleston turned his white eyes on Squire Beecher. "Pass the witness."
    The squire said, "Sheriff, so far as you know, the man Bedwell might have started the fight, might he not?"
    "Could be."
    "Actually, you couldn't tell who the aggressor was?"
    "This one was on top."
    "But that doesn't prove anything?"
    "Proves he was gettin' the best of it."
    The answer set people to nudging one another and giggling and talking at the corners of their lips. The sheriff grinned back at them and made a slow wink. Judge Test rapped.
    "That's all."
    The sheriff got up and walked over to the side and took Old Sure Shot from the man he had handed it to. "Bedwell."
    The dove greatcoat switched, the tight breeches scissored, the white hat swung from one hand.
    The prosecutor looked at his papers. "You are Jonathan Bedwell, of New Orleans?"
    "The same."
    "You know the defendant here?"
    "I saw him, just the once."
    "Tell the court about it."
    "He attacked me."
    "Go on."
    "It was about noon today. I had stopped and got off my horse while I let him drink."
    "Where?"
    "On the Greenville road, a mile or so out."
    "I heard someone running, and turned around, and it was this man, charging me."
    "Ever see him before?"
    "No."
    "Why would he attack you?"
    "I object," called Beecher. Except for one flicker of the veined eyes, Judge Test gave him no notice.
    "I don't know. The sheriff said it was robbery, but I don't know."
    The lean face of the prosecutor turned on Boone. "He looks like he needed something of everything, all right."
    People smiled at that, and some of them cackled while Beecher objected and Judge Test pounded on the bench. There was just one man who didn't smile. He was an Indian in the first row beyond the pole, sitting straight and unmoving, his hands holding a pair of quilled moccasins which he had brought to town to sell, likely. The pale judge came out of his slump and fixed his sad eyes on the prosecutor. "That ain't law, Eggleston, and you know it."
    Eggleston went on. "At any rate, he charged you and knocked you down and was trying to do you bodily injury when the sheriff happened on the scene."
    "He would have killed me, I think."
    "You have a horse?"
    "A good one."
    "And a rifle?"
    "A good