Lone Star Planet

and specifications were duly read, the three defendants pleaded not guilty, and then Goodham advance

ate Silas Cumshaw was a practicing politician within the meaning of the law. Second, that he is now dead, and came to his death in the m

at the same time, if I protested the characterization of Cumshaw as a practicing politician, the tr

ght never to have been arrested or brought here, and if the prosecution wants to establish anything, they can do it by testimony, in the regular and lawful way. This practice of free

it the bench with a cr

ddle of their trial, but if I hear another remark like that about the courts of New Texas, that

noticed, curious stares from my fellow Ambassadors. I disr

alling up th

ion of the wounds which had killed my predecessor. Sidney was trying to make something out

, because of the obvious interest which the Gov

n!" Sidne

te it," Nel

olar League, sent here to conspire with New Texan traitors to the end that New Texans sha

son rappe

rises from the death of the former Ambassador of the Solar League, I cannot see how the present A

osecution and defense; is that correct, Your Honor?" It was, so I turned to the witness. "I supp

cases which keep the practice of medicine and surg

ly severed, right lung and right ribs blown out of the chest, spleen and kidneys so intermingled as

's ri

nds-from the table, and asked him if this weapon could have

n used in your New Texas poli

pons are pistols; sometimes a

on when I cross-examine

weapon used in your New Tex

lanet; made by the z'Srauff star-cluster. A weapon like that sells for five, six hundred pesos. It'

bvious point there. I doubt if these three defendants ever, i

ctions to this attempt to disparage the honest poverty of hi

the Hickock ranch; he was Hickock's butler. He limped from an old injury which had reti

three defendants?

f them for future identifi

ed that he'd come to that point later, and began a line of questioning to establish t

he court the matters of interest which cam

' anything today; if he isn't, ask him if he wants to come out.' I was workin' right beside the telescreen. So I called the Solar League Embassy. Mr. Thrombley took the call, and I asked him was Mr. Cumshaw around. By this time, the Colonel

Little single-seat job that he drove himself. He landed it about a h

. Cumshaw turned around and looked at it, and then he started to run for the veranda. I was standin' in the doorway when I seen him startin' to run. I jumped out on the porch, q

had choked and there was a twitching about his

did you recognize the people who were

re I was, he had his left side to me. I was tryin' for his head, but I always overshoot, so I have the habit of holdin' low.

lse was in

same litter: Switchblade an

e. Colonel Hickock had taken personal command of that, and had left Longfellow behind to call the Solar League Embassy and the

le table and picked up a

ed by the Colt Firearms Company of New Texas, a licensed subsidiary of the Colt Firear

own pistol. He recited the serial number, and pointed to different s

apon," Nelson said. "I assume that this is the weapon w

ongfellow resented

witness, Mr. Sid

n an immedi

w to bring about the conquest of New Texas by the Solar League. The verbal exchange became so heated that both witness and attorney had to be admonished repeatedly from the bench. But

ished, I got up

y answered the screen at the Solar League

n out at the ranch with M

haw and, possibly, Mr. Thrombley, who else knew that Mr

eys must have had advance knowledge. My questions made that point clear des

gfellow; thank you. Any qu

was then a few minutes before noon, so Judge

tics man from Ranger crime-lab followed him to the stand and testified that it had been fired from Longfellow's Colt. Then Ranger Captain Nelson took the stand. His testimony wa

on's testimony didn't

Captain identified it as the car which he had found at the Bonneyville jail. He went over it with an ultra-violet flashlight and

olonel Hickock identified the gun as the one with which he had fired on the air-car. Finally, the balli

t Kettle-Belly Sam

rease-spotted vest. There was absolutely no mystery about how he had acquired his nickname. He disgorged a cud of tobacco into a spi

anded in the street outside and the three defendants had rushed in, claiming sanctuary. From then on, the story flowed along smoothly, following the lines predicted by

the hands of the reactionary landowners, and the atrocious behavior of the Hickock goon-gang. Fin

ail when the three defendants c

ghtly say, may

to the Rangers. How many of t

hey was just common drunks, disorderly conduct cases, that ki

knew in advance that these three would be along claiming sanctuary, and that Col

dney stopped shouting long enough for

, I take it. What did you know about thei

wn an' kept poor by the big r

sed to see them driving

uch an expensive-" he s

got the money to buy

ly Sam did

d for that job? Do you know where the money came from? Do you know who the go-between was, and how much he got, and h

hove his chest out about half as far as his midriff. "O

Bonney!" a voice fr

he means is, incriminate." I turned to

was led out the side door,

ely establishing that these three defendants actually did fire the shot which, on Ap

was the sort of thing which the defense lawyer in the Whately case had been so willing to stipulate. Sidney, of course, tried to make it a

"Annexation Now!" Some of it was entirely spontaneous, too. The Hickocks, father and daughter, were given a tremendous ovation, when they finally left, and followed to their hotel by cheering crowds. I saw one big ban