Legal Ditties. highway on which poor Dykes had been killed. This, of itself, would ordinarily have been of no moment. But subsequent events proved it of the greatest importance in shap ing the ends of justice. Several other neighbors, also mounted, ac companied Nelson. The journey was of the ordinary only, until they reached the point in the highway where the remains of Dykes had been found; and then, to the surprise of all, the horse, " Selim," on which Mr. Nelson was mounted, became excited and fractious. His flesh quivered and his nostrils dilated. He seemed bent on taking to the woods at that point, and finally became un manageable : "Give him free rein, Perry! " shouted an elderly man of the party. The suggestion was accepted, and when the bit relaxed, the excited but intelligent animal sprang into the brush, and galloped
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swiftly to a large tree, where he pawed the earth, and nickered piteously. Then he circled about, with his head low down, as if trying to follow a scent; only to return to the tree, to paw the earth more, and tremble violently. "Gentlemen," said Esquire Peterson, "the murder of Lawson Dykes was committed here at the base of this tree, and the only witness — his faithful horse — is trying to tell us so." "I believe it," said Nelson firmly, a view that the remainder of the party concurred in. "And this tree," continued Esquire Peter son, " is in the sixth district!" When the court convened a few days later, " Selim 's evidence," as they termed it, was sworn to by the whole party that wit nessed the manifestations, and the question of jurisdiction was settled; resulting in the conviction of Sim Skipwith.
LEGAL DITTIES. I. SING a song of whiskey, A body full of rye, Four and twenty jail-birds Locked high and dry. When the jail was opened "You The'11judge go upbegan for seven to sing, days To end your little fling." II. Dickery, dickery, hock! The crook put up the clock : Policeman come, Away he run, Dickery, dickery, hock!
