There was no identification of the actual cattle, branded 'HOD', alleged to have been stolen, nor could Mr.Hood swear positively that they were his cattle, had never been sold, and were a portion of his herd.

It was in the nature of these cases that identification of live stock, roaming over the immense solitudes of the interior, should be difficult, occasionally impossible.

Yet he trusted that the jury would give full weight to all the circumstances which went to show a continuous possession of the animals alleged to be stolen.

The persons of both prisoners had been positively sworn to by several witnesses as having been seen at the sale of the cattle referred to.

They were both remarkable-looking men, and such as if once seen would be retained in the memory of the beholder.
But the most important piece of evidence (here the judge stopped and took a pinch of snuff) was that afforded by the short-horn bull, Fifteenth Duke of Cambridge--he had been informed that was his name.
That animal, in the first place, was sworn to most positively by Mr.
Hood, and claimed as his property.