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Attorney。



〃Also　you　will　have　to　prosecute　this　Patsy　Horan；〃　Watson

advised；　〃for　I　shall　now　have　him　arrested　for　assault　and

battery。〃



〃You'd　better　shake　and　make　up；〃　the　Prosecuting　Attorney

repeated；　and　this　time　there　was　almost　a　threat　in　his　voice。



The　trials　of　both　men　were　set　for　a　week　later；　on　the　same

morning；　in　Police　Judge　Witberg's　court。



〃You　have　no　chance；〃　Watson　was　told　by　an　old　friend　of　his

boyhood；　the　retired　manager　of　the　biggest　paper　in　the　city。

〃Everybody　knows　you　were　beaten　up　by　this　man。　His　reputation

is　most　unsavory。　But　it　won't　help　you　in　the　least。　Both

cases　will　be　dismissed。　This　will　be　because　you　are　you。　Any

ordinary　man　would　be　convicted。〃



〃But　I　do　not　understand；〃　objected　the　perplexed　sociologist。

〃Without　warning　I　was　attacked　by　this　man；　and　badly　beaten。

I　did　not　strike　a　blow。　I〃



〃That　has　nothing　to　do　with　it；〃　the　other　cut　him　off。



〃Then　what　is　there　that　has　anything　to　do　with　it？〃



〃I'll　tell　you。　You　are　now　up　against　the　local　police　and

political　machine。　Who　are　you？　You　are　not　even　a　legal

resident　in　this　town。　You　live　up　in　the　country。　You　haven't

a　vote　of　your　own　here。　Much　less　do　you　swing　any　votes。　This

dive　proprietor　swings　a　string　of　votes　in　his　precinctsa

mighty　long　string。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　this　Judge　Witberg　will　violate

the　sacredness　of　his　office　and　oath　by　letting　this　brute

off？〃　Watson　demanded。



〃Watch　him；〃　was　the　grim　reply。　〃Oh；　he'll　do　it　nicely

enough。　He　will　give　an　extra…legal；　extra…judicial　decision；

abounding　in　every　word　in　the　dictionary　that　stands　for

fairness　and　right。〃



〃But　there　are　the　newspapers；〃　Watson　cried。



〃They　are　not　fighting　the　administration　at　present。　They'll

give　it　to　you　hard。　You　see　what　they　have　already　done　to

you。〃



〃Then　these　snips　of　boys　on　the　police　detail　won't　write　the

truth？〃



〃They　will　write　something　so　near　like　the　truth　that　the

public　will　believe　it。　They　write　their　stories　under

instruction；　you　know。　They　have　their　orders　to　twist　and

color；　and　there　won't　be　much　left　of　you　when　they　get　done。

Better　drop　the　whole　thing　right　now。　You　are　in　bad。〃



〃But　the　trials　are　set。〃



〃Give　the　word　and　they'll　drop　them　now。　A　man　can't　fight　a

machine　unless　he　has　a　machine　behind　him。〃



III



But　Carter　Watson　was　stubborn。　He　was　convinced　that　the

machine　would　beat　him；　but　all　his　days　he　had　sought　social

experience；　and　this　was　certainly　something　new。



The　morning　of　the　trial　the　Prosecuting　Attorney　made　another

attempt　to　patch　up　the　affair。



〃If　you　feel　that　way；　I　should　like　to　get　a　lawyer　to

prosecute　the　case；〃　said　Watson。



〃No；　you　don't；〃　said　the　Prosecuting　Attorney。　〃I　am　paid　by

the　People　to　prosecute；　and　prosecute　I　will。　But　let　me　tell

you。　You　have　no　chance。　We　shall　lump　both　cases　into　one；　and

you　watch　out。〃



Judge　Witberg　looked　good　to　Watson。　A　fairly　young　man；　short；

comfortably　stout；　smooth…shaven　and　with　an　intelligent　face；

he　seemed　a　very　nice　man　indeed。　This　good　impression　was

added　to　by　the　smiling　lips　and　the　wrinkles　of　laughter　in

the　corners　of　his　black　eyes。　Looking　at　him　and　studying　him；

Watson　felt　almost　sure　that　his　old　friend's　prognostication

was　wrong。



But　Watson　was　soon　to　learn。　Patsy　Horan　and　two　of　his

satellites　testified　to　a　most　colossal　aggregation　of

perjuries。　Watson　could　not　have　believed　it　possible　without

having　experienced　it。　They　denied　the　existence　of　the　other

four　men。　And　of　the　two　that　testified；　one　claimed　to　have

been　in　the　kitchen；　a　witness　to　Watson's　unprovoked　assault

on　Patsy；　while　the　other；　remaining　in　the　bar；　had　witnessed

Watson's　second　and　third　rushes　into　the　place　as　he　attempted

to　annihilate　the　unoffending　Patsy。　The　vile　language　ascribed

to　Watson　was　so　voluminously　and　unspeakably　vile；　that　he

felt　they　were　injuring　their　own　case。　It　was　so　impossible

that　he　should　utter　such　things。　But　when　they　described　the

brutal　blows　he　had　rained　on　poor　Patsy's　face；　and　the　chair

he　demolished　when　he　vainly　attempted　to　kick　Patsy；　Watson

waxed　secretly　hilarious　and　at　the　same　time　sad。　The　trial

was　a　farce；　but　such　lowness　of　life　was　depressing　to

contemplate　when　he　considered　the　long　upward　climb　humanity

must　make。



Watson　could　not　recognize　himself；　nor　could　his　worst　enemy

have　recognized　him；　in　the　swashbuckling；　rough…housing

picture　that　was　painted　of　him。　But；　as　in　all　cases　of

complicated　perjury；　rifts　and　contradictions　in　the　various

stories　appeared。　The　Judge　somehow　failed　to　notice　them；

while　the　Prosecuting　Attorney　and　Patsy's　attorney　shied　off

from　them　gracefully。　Watson　had　not　bothered　to　get　a　lawyer

for　himself；　and　he　was　now　glad　that　he　had　not。



Still；　he　retained　a　semblance　of　faith　in　Judge　Witberg　when

he　went　himself　on　the　stand　and　started　to　tell　his　story。



〃I　was　strolling　casually　along　the　street；　your　Honor；〃　Watson

began；　but　was　interrupted　by　the　Judge。



〃We　are　not　here　to　consider　your　previous　actions；〃　bellowed

Judge　Witberg。　〃Who　struck　the　first　blow？〃



〃Your　Honor；〃　Watson　pleaded；　〃I　have　no　witnesses　of　the

actual　fray；　and　the　truth　of　my　story　can　only　be　brought　out

by　telling　the　story　fully〃



Again　he　was　interrupted。



〃We　do　not　care　to　publish　any　magazines　here；〃　Judge　Witberg

roared；　looking　at　him　so　fiercely　and　malevolently　that　Watson

could　scarcely　bring　himself　to　believe　that　this　was　same　man

he　had　studied　a　few　minutes　previously。



〃Who　struck　the　first　blow？〃　Patsy's　attorney　asked。



The　Prosecuting　Attorney　interposed；　demanding　to　know　which　of

the　two　cases　lumped　together　was；　and　by　what　right　Patsy's

lawyer；　at　that　stage　of　the　proceedings；　should　take　the

witness。　Patsy's　attorney　fought　back。　Judge　Witberg

interfered；　professing　no　knowledge　of　any　two　cases　being

lumped　together。　All　this　had　to　be　explained。　Battle　royal

raged；　terminating　in　both　attorneys　apologizing　to　the　Court

and　to　each　other。　And　so　it　went；　and　to　Watson　it　had　the

seeming　of　a　group　of　pickpockets　ruffling　and　bustling　an

honest　man　as　they　took　his　purse。　The　machine　was　working；

that　was　all。



〃Why　did　you　enter　this　place　of　unsavory　reputations？〃　was

asked　him。



〃It　has　been　my　custom　for　many　years；　as　a　student　of

economics　and　sociology；　to　acquaint　myself〃



But　this　was　as　far　as　Watson　got。



〃We　want　none　of　your　ologies　here；〃　snarled　Judge　Witberg。　〃It

is　a　plain　question。　Answer　it　plainly。　Is　it　true　or　not　true

that　you　were　drunk？　That　is　the　gist　of　the　question。〃



When　Watson　attempted　to　tell　how　Patsy　had　injured　his　face　in

his　attempts　to　bat　with　his　head；　Watson　was　openly　scouted

and　flouted；　and　Judge　Witberg　again　took　him　in　hand。



〃Are　you　aware　of　the　solemnity　of　the　oath　you　took　to　testify

to　nothing　but　the　truth　on　this　witness　stand？〃　the　Judge

demanded。　〃This　is　a　fairy　story　you　are　telling。　It　is　not

reasonable　that　a　man　would　so　injure　himself；　and　continue　to

injure　himself；　by　striking　the　soft　and　sensitive　parts　of　his

face　against　your　head。　You　are　a　sensible　man。　It　is

unreasonable；　is　it　not？〃



〃Men　are　unreasonable　when　they　are　angry；〃　Watson　answered

meekly。



Then　it　was　that　Judge　Witberg　was　deeply　outraged　and

righteously　wrathful。



〃What　right　have　you　to　say　that？〃　he　cried。　〃It　is　gratuitous。

It　has　no　bearing　on　the　case。　You　are　here　as　a　witness；　sir；

of　events　that　have　transpired。　The　Court　does　not　wish　to　hear

any　expressions　of　opinion　from　you　at　all。〃



〃I　but　answered　your　question；　your　Honor；〃　Watson　protested

humbly。



〃You　did　nothing　of　the　sort；〃　was　the　next　blast。　〃And　let　me

warn　you；　sir；　let　me　warn　you；　that　you　are　laying　yourself

liable　to　contempt　by　such　insolence。　And　I　will　have　you　know

that　we　know　how　to　observe　the　law　and　the　rules　of　courtesy

down　here　in　this　little　courtroom。　I　am　ashamed　of　you。〃



And；　while　the　next　punctilious　legal　wrangle　between　the

attorneys　interrupted　his　tale　of　what　happened　in　the　Vendome；

Carter　Watson；　without　bitterness；　amused　and　at　the　same　time

sad；　saw　rise　before　him　the　machine；　large　and　small；　that

dominated　his　country；　the　unpunished　and　shameless　grafts　of　a

thousand　cities　perpetrated　by　the　spidery　and　vermin…like

creatures　of　the　machines。　Here　it　was　before　him；　a　courtroom

and　a　judge；　bowed　down　in　subservience　by　the　machine　to　a

dive…keeper　who　swung　a　string　of　votes。　Petty　and　sordid　as　it

was；　it　was　one　face　of　the　many…faced　machine　that　loomed

colossally；　in　every　city　and　state；　in　a　thousand　guises

overshadowing　the　land。



A　familiar　phrase　rang　in　his　ears：　〃It　is　to　laugh。〃　At　t