l6o . ,^ MARK TWAIN'S SKE^TCIiES. vf- v- .. ^. . ^ 



clients could not be punished for indulging in what some people chose to consider 

 a game of chance until it was proven that it was a game of chance. Judge and 

 counsel said that would be an easy matter, and forthwith called Deacons Job,. 

 Peters, iBurke, and Johnson, and Dominies AVirt and Miggles, to testify ; and they 

 unanimously and with strong feeling put down the legal quibble of Sturgis by pro- 

 nouncing that old sledge was a game of chance. 



" What do you call it now?" said the judge. 



"I call it a game of science!" retorted Sturgis; ''and I'll prove it, too!" 



They saw his little game. 



He brought in a cloud of witnesses, and produced an overwhelming mass o'l' 

 testimony, to show that old sledge was not a game of chance but a game of 

 science. 



Instead of being the simplest case in the world, it had somehow turned out to be 

 ah excessively' knotty one. The judge scratched his head over it a while, and said 

 there was no way of coming to a deterrhination, because just as many men could 

 be brought into court who would testify on one side as could be found to testify on 

 the other. But he said he was willing to do the fair thing by all parties, and 

 would act upon any suggestion Mr. Sturgis would make for the solution of the' 

 difficulty. 



Mr. Sturgis was on his feet in a second. • ' ' '- 



" Impanel a jury of six of each, Luck versus Science; Give them candles and a 

 couple of decks of cards. Send thein into the 'jury room, and just abide by the^ 

 result!" ■. . ,. . r 



■ There was no disputing the fairness of the proposition.' The four deacons and 

 the two dominies were sworn in as the " chance " juiymeh, and six inveterate old 

 severi-up professors were chosen to represent the "science" side of the issue.' 

 They retired to the jury room. ' i 



In about two hours Ddacoh Peters sent into court to borrow three dollars from a 

 friend. [Sensation.] In about two hours more Dominie Miggles sent into court- 

 to borrow a " stake " from a' friend. ■ '[Serisati'on.] Daring the next tht'ee or four' 

 h'outs the other dominie and the' other deacons sent into court for small loans.' 

 And still the packed audience waited, for it Wask a'prodigibus' occasion' int 



