Stanzas LXXI–LXXX

LXXI
The facts wuz--Sifers testified,--
at inquest he had found
The stummick showed the woman died
o' pizon, but had downed
The dos't herse'f,--because amount
and cost o' drug imployed
No druggist would, on no account,
a-lavished and distroyed!

LXXII
Doc tracked a blame-don burgler down,
and nailed the scamp, to boot,
But told him ef he'd leave the town
he wouldn't prosecute.
He traced him by a tied-up thumb-print
in fresh putty, where
Doc glazed it. Jes that's how he come
to track him to his lair!

LXXIII
Doc's jes a leetle too inclined,
some thinks, to overlook
The criminal and vicious kind
we'd ort to bring to book
And punish, 'thout no extry show
o' sympathizin', where
They hain't showed none fer us, you know.
But he takes issue there:

LXXIV
Doc argies 'at "The Red-eyed Law,"
as he says, "ort to learn
To lay a mighty leenient paw
on deeds o' sich concern
As only the Good Bein' knows
the wherefore of, and spreads
His hands above accused and sows
His mercies on their heads."

LXXV
Doc even holds 'at murder hain't
no crime we got a right
To hang a man fer--claims it's taint
o' lunacy, er quite.--
"Hold sich a man responsibul
fer murder," Doc says,--"then,
When he's hung, where's the rope to pull
them sound-mind jurymen?

LXXVI
"It's in a nutshell--all kin see,"
says Doc,--"it's cle'r the Law's
As ap' to err as you er me,
and kill without a cause:
The man most innocent o' sin
I've saw, er 'spect to see,
Wuz servin' a life-sentence in
the penitentchury."

LXXVII
And Doc's a whole hand at a fire!--
directin' how and where
To set your ladders, low er higher,
and what first duties air,--
Like formin' warter-bucket-line;
and best man in the town
To chop holes in old roofs, and mine
defective chimblies down:

LXXVIII
Er durin' any public crowd,
mass-meetin', er big day,
Where ladies ortn't be allowed,
as I've heerd Sifers say,--
When they's a suddent rush somewhere,
it's Doc's voice, ca'm and cle'r,
Says, "Fall back, men, and give her air!--
that's all she's faintin' fer."

LXXIX
The sorriest I ever feel
fer Doc is when some show
Er circus comes to town and he'll
not git a chance to go.
'Cause he jes natchurly delights
in circuses--clean down
From tumblers, in their spangled tights,
to trick-mule and Old Clown.

LXXX
And ever'body knows it, too,
how Doc is, thataway!...
I mind a circus onc't come through--
wuz there myse'f that day.--
Ringmaster cracked his whip, you know,
to start the ridin'--when
In runs Old Clown and hollers "Whoa!--
Ladies and gentlemen