Homer was in a state where he almost fell for this offer.  It was that or facing a jury that would have it in for him, anyway, or disappearing like he had done in Idaho; only this lady was highly determined, and reports had already come to him that he would be watched and nailed if he tried to leave.  It would mean being hounded from pillar to post, even if he did get away.  He went down and put it up to Minna, as I heard later.

“I’m a desperate man,” he says, “being hounded by this here catamount; and mebbe it’s best to give in.”

“It’s outrageous!” says Minna.  “Of course you don’t care about the money; but it’s the principle of the thing.”

“Well, yes and no,” says Homer.  “You might say I care some about the money.  That’s plain nature, and I never denied I was human.”

So they went on to discuss it back and forth warmly, when a misunderstanding arose that I was very careful to get the rights of a couple of weeks later.

Minna went over the old ground that Homer could never get a fair trial; then she brightened up all at once and says: 

“Don’t you pay it.  Don’t you do it; because you won’t have to if you do what I say.”

Homer gets excited and says: 

“Yes, yes; go on!”

And Minna goes on.

“When people can’t get fair trials in a place,” she says, “they always take change of venues.”

“Change of venues?” says Homer, kind of uneasy, it seemed.

“Certainly,” says Minna:  “they take change of venues.  I’ve worked in Judge Ballard’s office long enough to know that much.  Why didn’t I think of it before?  It’s your one chance to escape this creature’s snare.”

“Change of venues?” says Homer again, kind of aghast.

“It’s your only way out,” says Minna; “and I’ll do everything I can—­”

“You will?” says Homer.

“Why, of course!” says Minna.  “Any thing—­”

“All right, then,” says Homer.  “You get your things on, and I’ll saddle your horse and bring him round.”

“What for?” demands Minna.

“I’m a desperate man!” says Homer.  “You say it’s the only way out, and you know the law; so come along to Kulanche with me.”  And he beat if off to the barn.

Well, Minna had said she’d do anything she could, thinking she’d write herself to Judge Ballard and find out all the details; but if Homer wanted her to go to Kulanche with him and try to start the thing there—­why, all right.  She was ready when Homer come with her horse and off they rode on the twelve-mile trip.

I gather that not much was said on the way by Homer who only muttered like a fever patient from time to time, with Minna saying once in a while how glad she was she had thought up this one sure way out of his trouble.

At Kulanche they rode up in front of Old Man Geiger’s office, who is justice of the peace.

“Wait here a minute,” says Homer, and went inside.  Pretty soon he come out and got her.  “Come on, now,” he says, “I got it all fixed.”