"Mr. Buzzle_baum_," exclaimed Ike, "you a juryman in this case?"
"Y--e--s," drawled Ike, "so I see," as if he had got on the panel fraudulently some way.
"Yes, sot up; don't you know what that is by this time, at your time-er life, Mr. Buzzlebaum?"
"Well, what of it?" asked Mr. Buzzlebaum.
"What--of--it! Je-ru-sa-lem!" exclaimed Ike, slapping a book on the table, and looking fury at the court. "The man says 'what of it?'--sittin' up with the defendant _nights_ a-courtin' her, and then wants to know what of it? Wouldn't he be a pretty man to try this case?"
"How do _I_ know where! Ever talk of marryin' the 'oman, hey?"
"No wals here; you're sworn now; out with it. Didn't you tell old Soper, if she warn't so old and rusty-like, you'd strike, hit or miss? What, sir?"
"Guilty as a dog; won't answer; is a-goin'-ter die game, right inter the face of the court," exclaimed Ike.
Mr. Buzzlebaum began to scratch his head, and just got an idea of what "sot up" meant, and declared, "he'd never sot up with Miss Beadle, nor nobody else, but he warn't goin' to answer any more questions;" and asking another juryman for his hat, which stood among a huddle of hats outside the jury-box, "leaned" for the door, amid the cries of the court, clerk, Bates, &c., of "hold on," "don't go," "stop him," "bring him back, sheriff," &c. But Buzzlebaum didn't return.
The next juryman who Ike thought was "_dang_-rous," was Mr. Tumbleton.
"Mr. Tumbleton," exclaimed Ike, "form'd or 'spressed any 'pinion in this case?"
"Hain't said that you hop'd the old maid would come out hunk?"
"Hain't said that Turtle was a jackass for pushin' on this 'ere suit?"
"Pretty clus questions," said Mr. Tumbleton, balancing on one leg, and looking thoughtfully up at the ceiling.
"Now don't you think--and haven't you _said_, that Turtle was a jackass for pushin' on this suit?" inquired Ike, rising from his chair.
"Don't you _think_ he is, is the question, Mr. Tumbleton?"
"Think you are a jackass!" repeated the juror.
Mr. Turtle submitted to the court, if that "warn't 'nough to break him from sittin'."
Mr. Bates said, "the man show'd his good sense--best juryman on the whole panel."
The court thought the juryman was entitled to his own opinion; it was not pos-i-_tive_ proof that Turtle was a jackass 'cause the juryman might have thought so; shouldn't drive him out the box for that.