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“Now about them watermelons: Sence this gentleman has brung them watermelons up, I’m goin’ to tell you-all the truth about that too.”

He cast a quick, furtive look, almost a guilty look, over his shoulder toward the rear of the courtroom before he went on:

“Them watermelons wasn’t really stole at all. I seen Mister Dick Bell beforehand and arranged with him to pay him in full fur whutever damage mout be done. But, you see, I knowed watermelons tasted sweeter to a boy ef he thought he’d hooked ’em out of a patch; so I never let on to my little pardners yonder that I’d the same ez paid Mister Bell in advance fur the melons we took out of his patch and et in the woods. They’ve all been thinkin’ up till now that we really hooked them watermelons. But ef that was wrong I’m sorry fur it.

“Mister Sublette, you jest now said that I was fritterin’ away my property on vain foolishment. Them was the words you used–‘fritterin” and ‘vain foolishment.’ Mebbe you’re right, suh, about the fritterin’ part; but ef spendin’ money in a certain way gives a man ez much pleasure ez it’s give me these last two months, and ef the money is his’n by rights, I figger it can’t be so very foolish; though it may ‘pear so to some.

“Excusin’ these here clothes I’ve got on and these here boots, which ain’t paid fur yet, but are charged up to me on Felsburg Brothers’ books and Mister M. Biederman’s books, I didn’t spend only a dollar a day, or mebbe two dollars, and once three dollars in a single day out of whut was comin’ to me. The Judge here, he let me have that out of his own pocket; and I paid him back. And that was all I did spend till here three days ago when that there circus come to town. I reckin I did spend a right smart then.

“My money had come frum the old country only the day before; so I went to the bank and they writ out one of them pieces of paper which is called a check, and I signed it–with my mark; and they give me the money I wanted–an even two hundred dollars. And part of that there money I used to pay fur circus tickets fur all the little boys and little girls I could find in this town that couldn’t ‘a’ got to the circus no other way. Some of ’em are settin’ back there behind you-all now–some of the boys, I mean; I don’t see none of the little girls.

“There was several of ’em told me at the time they hadn’t never seen a circus–not in their whole lives! Fur that matter, I hadn’t, neither; but I didn’t want no pore child in this town to grow up to be ez old ez I am without havin’ been to at least one circus. So I taken ’em all in and paid all the bills; and when night come there wasn’t but ’bout nine dollars left out of the whole two hundred that I’d started out with in the mornin’. But I don’t begredge spendin’ it. It looks to me like it was money well invested. They all seemed to enjoy it; and I know I done so.

“There may be bigger circuses’n whut that one was; but I don’t see how a circus could ‘a’ been any better than this here one I’m tellin’ about, ef it was ten times ez big. I don’t regret the investment and I don’t aim to lie about it now. Mister Sublette, I’d do the same thing over ag’in ef the chance should come, lawsuit or no lawsuit. Ef you should win this here case mebbe I wouldn’t have no second chance.

“Ef some gentleman is app’inted ez a committee to handle my money it’s likely he wouldn’t look at the thing the same way I do; and it’s likely he wouldn’t let me have so much money all in one lump to spend takin’ a passel of little shavers that ain’t no kin to me to the circus and to the side show, besides lettin’ ’em stay fur the grand concert or after-show, and all. But I done it once; and I’ve got it to remember about and think about in my own mind ez long ez I live.