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The blond clerk said, "Elvis Compton has put in a claim aginst the county fer a cow."

The judge drew a plug of inky tobacco from his hip pocket, set his snaggled teeth in it, and bit off a chew.

"How does the county owe you for a cow, Mr. Compton?" he asked in a muffled tone.

A small dark man stood up in the audience,

"The tick inspector made me dip her and it killed her."

"How's that?" asked the judge with interest.

"Why, we drove her through the vat and a lot of the truck got in her years and dreened into her brain an' killed her."

Astonishment filled the audience at this deadly effect of tick dip on a cow. Just then the tick inspector himself arose.

"Jedge, that's redickerlous," he drawled, "the guv'ment dip kain't dreen through a cow's years into her brains—they ain't nothin' kin do that."

The chairman waved him down.

"That's fer the court to decide. Gentlemen, you hear the question. All who believe the tick dip dreened into the brains of Mr. Compton's cow an' killed her let it be known by votin' aye."

Came a grunting of ayes.

"All who don't believe it vote no."

Came a grunting of noes.

"The clerk will haff to call the roll on that," announced the judge.

The clerk began calling the names of the justices; when he finished the roll stood at fourteen ayes and fifteen noes.

"Mr. Compton," announced the judge in a tone still muffled by his new quid, "the guv'ment dip liked jest one vote dreenin' into yore cow's brains an' killin' her. What's next on docket, Mr. Clerk?"

Laughter filled the courtroom as the clerk drawled out, "Professor Lem Overall and Brother Blackman want to put a proposition before the court."

As he spoke the two men mentioned arose from the crowd and entered the chancel. A trickle of dismay went over Abner