62 HILLS AND LAKES. 



face, it's my opinion he saw stars. He went over and 

 over, into the middle of the street, and when he went 

 down he laid still. He hadn't any fight left in him. 

 He got on to his feet at last, and staggered like a 

 drunken man. I was sorry I hit him so hard, bat it's 

 my opinion he deserved what he got. Presently a 

 man walked up, and said I was wanted. * Who be 

 you,' said I. * I'm a constable,' he replied, * and you 

 must go with me to the Perlice.' ' All right,' said I, 

 ' go ahead ; law is law, and must be gin' in to.' Well, 

 we went to the office, and I've a notion, Squire, that 

 Justice of the Peace was an honest man, for he didn't 

 seem to want to take advantage of me because I didn't 

 know the ways of the Court. The feller I struck was 

 there, and sich a face as he carried, was a sight to see. 

 His nose was swelled up like a great sassenger, and 

 his eyes had a long way to look, before they could see 

 outside of the great puff around them. Well, he was 

 called on to swear, and the way^ he lied agin' me, was 

 a sin to hear. You'd a believed from what he said, 

 that the fault was all on my side, and that he was the 

 innocentest lamb that had ever been worried by a 

 wolf. I thought it all over with me, when the Squire 

 asked me what I had to say. 



