you, gentlemen all, as fa'r-minded men, ef this isn't so."

"Prisoner," said the Judge, interrupting, "have you any questions to
ask this man?"

"No! no!" continued Tennessee's Partner hastily. "I play this yer hand
alone. To come down to the bed-rock, it's just this: Tennessee, thar,
has played it pretty rough and expensive-like on a stranger, and on
this yer camp. And now, what's the fair thing? Some would say more,
some would say less. Here's seventeen hundred dollars in coarse gold
and a watch,--it's about all my pile,--and call it square!" And before
a hand could be raised to prevent him, he had emptied the contents of
the carpetbag upon the table.

For a moment his life was in jeopardy. One or two men sprang to their
feet, several hands groped for hidden weapons, and a suggestion to
"throw him from the window" was only overridden by a gesture from the
Judge. Tennessee laughed. And apparently oblivious of the excitement,
Tennessee's Partner improved the opportunity to mop his face again
with his handkerchief. When order was restored, and the man was made
to understand, by the use of forcible figures and rhetoric, that
Tennessee's offense could not be condoned by money, his face took a
more serious and sanguinary hue, and those who were nearest to him
noticed that his rough hand trembled slightly on the table. He
hesitated a moment as he slowly returned the gold to the carpetbag, as
if he had not yet entirely caught the elevated sense of justice which
swayed the tribunal, and was perplexed with the belief that he had not
offered enough. Then he turned to the Judge, and saying, "This yer is
a lone hand, played alone, and without my pardner," he bowed to the
jury and was about to withdraw, when the Judge called him back:--