giving relief to the injured man.  Whereupon the deponent declares that he submitted to said process and was conducted by wagon and trail to a bark shanty at some place in the woods unknown to him where the bandage was removed from his eyes.  He declares further that he found there, a strong built, black-bearded man about thirty years of age, and a stranger to him, lying on a bed of boughs in the light of a fire and none other.  This man was groaning in great pain from a wound made by some heavy weapon on the side of his head.  The flesh of the cheek and ear were swollen and lacerated.  Deponent further declares that he administered an opiate and dressed and put a number of stitches in the injured parts and bound them with a bandage soaked in liniment.  Then deponent returned to his home, blindfolded as he had left it.  He declares that the time consumed in the journey from the shanty to his home was one hour and ten minutes.”

It should be said that, in the theory of the district attorney the effort to retire the principal witness, if, indeed, that were the intention of their pursuit of me, originated in the minds of lawless and irresponsible men.  I know that there are those who find a joy in creating mysteries and defeating the law, but let it be set down here that I have never concurred in the views of that able officer.

At the examination of Amos Grimshaw my knowledge was committed to the records and ceased to be a source of danger to me.  Grimshaw came to the village that day.  On my way to the court room I saw him walking slowly, with bent head as I had seen him before, followed by old Kate.  She carried her staff in her left hand while the forefinger of her right was pointing him out.  Silent as a ghost and as unheeded—­one would say—­she followed his steps.

I remember when I went on the stand my eyes filled with tears.  Amos gave me an appealing look that went to my heart.  It was hard for me to tell the truth that day—­never has it been so hard.  If I had had the riches of Grimshaw himself I would have given them to be relieved.  Was there nothing that I could do for Amos?

I observed that old Kate sat on a front seat with her hand to her ear and Grimshaw beside his lawyer at a big table and that when she looked at him her lips moved in a strange unuttered whisper of her spirit.  Her face filled with joy as one damning detail after another came out in the evidence.

Aunt Deel and Uncle Peabody came to the village that day and sat in the court room.  They had dinner with us at the schoolmaster’s, but I had little chance to talk with them.  Aunt Deel went up to my room with me and slyly gave me some fresh cookies wrapped in a piece of newspaper which she carried in a little basket bought from the Indians.

“Here’s somethin’ else,” she said.  “I was keepin’ ’em for Chris’mas—­ayes!—­but it’s so cold I guess ye better have ’em now—­ayes!”

Then she gave me a pair of mittens with a red fringe around the wristbands, and two pairs of socks.