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"Silence, clear the room! I, Protazy Baltazar Brzechalski, known

under two titles, once General of the Tribunal, commonly called

Apparitor, hereby make my apparitor's report and formal

declaration-claiming as witnesses all free-born persons here

present and summoning the Assessor to investigate the case in

behalf of His Honour Judge Soplica-as to an incursion, that is to

say, an infringement of the frontier, a violent entry of the

castle, over which hitherto the Judge has had legal authority, an

evident proof of which is the fact that he is eating in the

castle."

"Wind-bag," yelled the Warden, "I'll show you now!"

And, taking from his belt his iron keys, he whirled them round

his head and hurled them with all his might; the bunch of iron

flew like a stone from a sling. It would surely have split

Protazy's brow into quarters, but luckily the Apparitor ducked

and escaped death.