him.”
“Is that about right, Mr. Marsten?”
“Yes, it is.” Marsten squared his shoulders and pulled down on his jacket, which had a tendency to ride up on his belly. Clearly the thought of being mentioned in official records as, well known and respected, sat well with the captain.
“Now, let’s ask a few questions about this claim.” Mobley looked into the eyes of the expectant men, satisfied they were all paying attention. He noted several were being pestered by flies that were crawling about their faces, but they made no move to shoo them away. Men of the prairie would know it was useless to worry about such things, and only reacted when one actually threatened to penetrate a sensitive spot. Mobley had not achieved that level of acceptance. He picked up his quirt and waved a few of the critters away from his ear. They would be back, of that he was sure.
“Mr. Bailiff, swear Captain Marsten in, so he can properly testify before the court.”
“Yes, sir,” Jack said as he looked menacingly at the uniformed man seated before him. Now that the real threat was over, he was apparently feeling a little testy toward the men who had so worried him.
“Stand up, Mr. Marsten.”
Marsten stared at Jack for a moment before slowly getting to his feet.
“Now, raise your right hand and swear after me.”
Marsten raised his right hand, but abruptly put it down when Jack snapped, “No, your right hand .”
Marsten began to raise his left hand, and then stopped, realizing he’d been snookered. Several of the wranglers guffawed. Jack beamed at the red flush rising on Marsten’s face. The flush darkened into anger, and he involuntarily reached for the pistol in his empty holster. No one moved or spoke until Marsten managed to regain control. He slowly raised his right hand, eyes narrow. Mobley dipped his head to hide his own grin, knowing it best not to allow the situation to deteriorate further.
Jack’s face returned to its coldly serious demeanor as he spoke, unfazed by the look in Marsten’s eye. “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
Marsten growled his answer. “Yes, I do. I always tell the truth. I’ve also never taken advantage of any official position conferred upon me for the sake of humiliating my fellow man.”
Jack glared at Marsten.
WHACK! Mobley hammered the butt end of his quirt on the hard leather cover of his docket book. “We’ve had enough fun for the day, boys. Let’s get on with this trial. Captain Marsten, you can sit back down.”
Marsten glared back at Jack for a moment, then sat down on his side of the dirt pile.
“Would you admit, Mr. Marsten, that your supervision of the horses in question was somewhat negligent?”
Marsten crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you think it was wise to have entrusted the care of these fine, no doubt valuable animals to only two, young, inexperienced, poorly-armed wranglers, when it was well known that thieves and ne’er-do-wells abound in this uncivilized land?”
Marsten shrugged his shoulders, and then twisted them slightly back and forth. “Well, put that way, I suppose I could have been a sight more careful. But the rest of the wranglers needed time off to go to town, and it was the young’uns turn to stay back at the ranch. What does that have to do with me getting my horses back?”
“Maybe everything, maybe nothing. But we’ve got to look at all of the facts before we apply the law, don’t you think?”
Marsten stared. The wranglers cast glances back and forth. Most of them nodded.
“Very well, we’ve heard Captain Marsten’s claim, and it’s clear he has sound reason to believe his right to the horses is valid. I believe the law supports his position.”
The seated wranglers broke out into a cheer at this statement, banging each other on the back and swinging their elbows wide. Mobley found himself becoming self
“Is that about right, Mr. Marsten?”
“Yes, it is.” Marsten squared his shoulders and pulled down on his jacket, which had a tendency to ride up on his belly. Clearly the thought of being mentioned in official records as, well known and respected, sat well with the captain.
“Now, let’s ask a few questions about this claim.” Mobley looked into the eyes of the expectant men, satisfied they were all paying attention. He noted several were being pestered by flies that were crawling about their faces, but they made no move to shoo them away. Men of the prairie would know it was useless to worry about such things, and only reacted when one actually threatened to penetrate a sensitive spot. Mobley had not achieved that level of acceptance. He picked up his quirt and waved a few of the critters away from his ear. They would be back, of that he was sure.
“Mr. Bailiff, swear Captain Marsten in, so he can properly testify before the court.”
“Yes, sir,” Jack said as he looked menacingly at the uniformed man seated before him. Now that the real threat was over, he was apparently feeling a little testy toward the men who had so worried him.
“Stand up, Mr. Marsten.”
Marsten stared at Jack for a moment before slowly getting to his feet.
“Now, raise your right hand and swear after me.”
Marsten raised his right hand, but abruptly put it down when Jack snapped, “No, your right hand .”
Marsten began to raise his left hand, and then stopped, realizing he’d been snookered. Several of the wranglers guffawed. Jack beamed at the red flush rising on Marsten’s face. The flush darkened into anger, and he involuntarily reached for the pistol in his empty holster. No one moved or spoke until Marsten managed to regain control. He slowly raised his right hand, eyes narrow. Mobley dipped his head to hide his own grin, knowing it best not to allow the situation to deteriorate further.
Jack’s face returned to its coldly serious demeanor as he spoke, unfazed by the look in Marsten’s eye. “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
Marsten growled his answer. “Yes, I do. I always tell the truth. I’ve also never taken advantage of any official position conferred upon me for the sake of humiliating my fellow man.”
Jack glared at Marsten.
WHACK! Mobley hammered the butt end of his quirt on the hard leather cover of his docket book. “We’ve had enough fun for the day, boys. Let’s get on with this trial. Captain Marsten, you can sit back down.”
Marsten glared back at Jack for a moment, then sat down on his side of the dirt pile.
“Would you admit, Mr. Marsten, that your supervision of the horses in question was somewhat negligent?”
Marsten crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you think it was wise to have entrusted the care of these fine, no doubt valuable animals to only two, young, inexperienced, poorly-armed wranglers, when it was well known that thieves and ne’er-do-wells abound in this uncivilized land?”
Marsten shrugged his shoulders, and then twisted them slightly back and forth. “Well, put that way, I suppose I could have been a sight more careful. But the rest of the wranglers needed time off to go to town, and it was the young’uns turn to stay back at the ranch. What does that have to do with me getting my horses back?”
“Maybe everything, maybe nothing. But we’ve got to look at all of the facts before we apply the law, don’t you think?”
Marsten stared. The wranglers cast glances back and forth. Most of them nodded.
“Very well, we’ve heard Captain Marsten’s claim, and it’s clear he has sound reason to believe his right to the horses is valid. I believe the law supports his position.”
The seated wranglers broke out into a cheer at this statement, banging each other on the back and swinging their elbows wide. Mobley found himself becoming self
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