And he spoke up, about half crying,
and says:
"Now THAT'S a lie. Your honor, it ain't fair; I'm
plenty bad enough without that. I done the other
things -- Brace he put me up to it, and persuaded me,
and promised he'd make me rich, some day, and I done
it, and I'm sorry I done it, and I wisht I hadn't; but I
hain't stole no di'monds, and I hain't GOT no di'monds;
I wisht I may never stir if it ain't so. The sheriff can
search me and see."
Tom says:
"Your honor, it wasn't right to call him a thief, and
I'll let up on that a little. He did steal the di'monds,
but he didn't know it. He stole them from his brother
Jake when he was laying dead, after Jake had stole them
from the other thieves; but Jubiter didn't know he was
stealing them; and he's been swelling around here with
them a month; yes, sir, twelve thousand dollars' worth
of di'monds on him -- all that riches, and going around
here every day just like a poor man. Yes, your honor,
he's got them on him now."
The judge spoke up and says:
"Search him, sheriff."
Well, sir, the sheriff he ransacked him high and low,
and everywhere: searched his hat, socks, seams, boots,
everything -- and Tom he stood there quiet, laying for
another of them effects of hisn. Finally the sheriff he
give it up, and everybody looked disappointed, and
Jubiter says:
"There, now! what'd I tell you?"
And the judge says:
"It appears you were mistaken this time, my
boy.
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