And if Your Honor will
give me about ten minutes in private talk, I'll explain the whole
thing to you, and show you the equitable and legal requisition
papers which I carry in my pocket.'
"The judge kind of half smiles and says he will talk with me in
his private room. In there I put the whole thing up to him in
such language as I had, and when we goes outside, he announces
the verdict that the young man is delivered into the hands of the
Texas authorities; and calls the next case.
"Skipping over much of what happened on the way back, I'll tell
you how the thing wound up in Bildad.
"When we got the prisoner in the sheriff's office, I says to
Luke:
" `You remember that kid of yours--that two-year-old that they
stole away from you when the bust-up come?'
"Luke looks black and angry. He'd never let anybody talk to him
about that business, and he never mentioned it himself.
" `Toe the mark,' says I. `Do you remember when he was toddling
around on the porch and fell down on a pair of Mexican spurs and
cut four little holes over his right eye? Look at the prisoner,'
says I, `look at his nose and the shape of his head and--why, you
old fool, don't you know your own son?--I knew him,' says I,
`when he perforated Mr.
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