By the time the trial opened in the large school-house in Clifty at eleven o’clock, all the surrounding country had emptied its population into Clifty, and all Flat Creek was on hand ready to testify to something.  Those who knew the least appeared to know the most, and were prodigal of their significant winks and nods.  Mrs. Means had always suspected him.  She seed some mighty suspicious things about him from the word go.  She’d allers had her doubts whether he was jist the thing, and ef her ole man had axed her, liker-n not he never’d a been hired.  She’d seed things with her own livin’ eyes that beat all she ever seed in all her born days.  And Pete Jones said he’d allers knowed ther warn’t no good in sech a feller.  Couldn’t stay abed when he got there.  And Granny Sanders said, Law’s sakes! nobody’d ever a found him out ef it hadn’t been fer her.  Didn’t she go all over the neighborhood a-warnin’ people?  Fer her part, she seed straight through that piece of goods.  He was fond of the gals, too!  Nothing was so great a crime in her eyes as to be fond of the gals.

The constable paid unwitting tribute to William the Conquerer by crying Squire Hawkins’s court open with an Oyez! or, as he said, “O yes!” and the Squire asked Squire Underwood, who came in at that minute, to sit with him.  From the start, it was evident to Ralph that the prosecuting attorney had been thoroughly posted by Small, though, looking at that worthy’s face, one would have thought him the most disinterested and philosophical spectator in the court-room.

Bronson, the prosecutor, was a young man, and this was his first case since his election.  He was very ambitious to distinguish himself, very anxious to have Flat Creek influence on his side in politics; and, consequently, he was very determined to send Ralph Hartsook to State prison, justly or unjustly, by fair means or foul.  To his professional eyes this was not a question of right and wrong, not a question of life or death to such a man as Ralph.  It was George H. Bronson’s opportunity to distinguish himself.  And so, with many knowing and confident nods and hints, and with much deference to the two squires, he opened the case, affecting great indignation at Ralph’s wickedness, and uttering Delphic hints about striped pants and shaven head, and the grating of prison-doors at Jeffersonville.

“And, now, if the court please, I am about to call a witness whose testimony is very important indeed.  Mrs. Sarah Jane Means will please step forward and be sworn.”

This Mrs. Means did with alacrity.  She had met the prosecutor, and impressed him with her dark hints.  She was sworn.

“Now, Mrs. Means, have the goodness to tell us what you know of the robbery at the house of Peter Schroeder, and the part defendant had in it.”

“Well, you see, I allers suspected that air young man—­”

Here Squire Underwood stopped her, and told her that she must not tell her suspicions, but facts.