Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-08-10

strange sense OF uneasiness continued
10 prevail the air. ! met the sheriff
as ] wondered home about one o'clock.
" DO you smell it?' he asked.
"'Smell what?
1.-The blood in the air. said he,
with laugh. I've smelled IL before,
and know the odor.
"When ! got out next morning IL
was with laugh at my own nervous
ness OF the preceding night Two
4 hours before court began the entrance
/ TO the court house was beseiged by
cowboys. They formed a compact
/ crowd, and when the doors were thrown
I open broke into the court room, filling
| il TO overlooking. The citizens OF
1 Hastings VINO wanted TO attend the
I trial arrived later, and had 10 hear
/ proceedings from theshallway or not
! TO hear them at all.
II had a seat within the railing
I commanding a view OF court and spec
! tators. The spectators interested me
/ more than the court. The faces were
all rough, all bearded, all bronzed with
I sun and weather, all strong in feature,
all silent, all intent, all watchful, all
determined. As | looked at them the
same old feeling OF the night before
came over me in redoubled force.
felt as though ] were in the presence
of some mysterious. intangible evil.
'Did you ever see western con-
stable? He is long. broad. lean and
/ muscular. He has b ina like a small
ham in size and color, and seeming
ly madeof sinews. His neck is long,
and as brown as bark. His face is lean,
and his eyes have shaggy brows. He
stands on one foot, with the opposite
hand on his hip lingering a seven
shooter. He is loose iointed and
shows the strength of a horse. As |
looked over that crowd of long haired.
serious faced cowboys / noticed at
least score of constables scattered
among them. Their eyes sparkled ex-
pectantly, and they kept furtively
looking about on every side. Near
the door saw the sheriff. They say
he can pull gun quicker than any
man in Nebraska His heavy jaws
we're shut tight even for him. and his
right hand rested upon his belt
II drew wavering breath of ex-
element There was something in
the faces Of everyone of these rough
cowboys that made me almost tremble.
1utEE " do a 6Ak Ht6NAOh Vi hIIGASN a.
the faces of the constables that alarm
ed me- / could hear my heart beat,
and knew my breath caught, yet |
knew no cause of alarm. | looked al
the Judge and the lawyers and | saw
the same spell rested upon them.
The county prosecutor began the
: trial in low, firm tone. Every one
spoke low. The judge bowed his
decisions. The counsel for the defense
interposed objections in a set voice.
The face OF the prisoner was pale and
his eyes staring. He glanced at the
court with the suggestion OF contempt
in his face. but at the audience with
: look that ! thought was almos
! terror. The pause between the
sentences OF those who spoke showed
that but for their speaking the room
was densely silent. ] don't believe any
: one formulated his impressions, bu
down in his heart every man there
must have known "a well a. | knew
that we were in the very presence OF
coming tragedy.
When the young plaintiff told he
; story her faintest whisper seemed t
; ring out to the corners of the room
When she ceased. a suppressed sigl
struggled from the crowd.
The clerk called the prisoner +
the bar. His face grew paler as h,
arose. He cast one appealing glanc'
at the still impassive audience. YOU'VE
, seen the sudden gloom caused by
: light cloud sweeping over the sun. II
: some such intangible way did an ex
preston OF pitiless determination seen
TO pass over that sea of faces at tn
! prisoners glance. Yet no one moved
The prisoner saw the sudden cloud an'
grew white. He almost staggered 4
5 the bar. He turned his back upon tn,
l courtroom and faced the judge.
T ut was then that | felt as ii
l weight were on me. | glanced will
! tight closed lips around the room.
! don't know what ] expected. hut | ha'
never been so excited. The faces al
seemed blurred at the moment bu
gradually, as il by fascination, on
face took possession of me. IL belong
ed TO twenty year old boy with th
form of giant aud the dress of a cat
tleman. He stood in the middle of tn
/ room. What was peculiar in him d
not know. for | never remembered hi
1 expression-perhaps never clearly say
$ it. But the growing horror in m
. seized upon that boys face, centere
: in IL, fed upon It. His eyes stare
9 heavily at the prisoner, and | stare
! with beating heart at him.
$ al did not see him raise it, though
: looking at him. But in a twinkling
: polished barrel cleaned along tn
: line of that gaze. Only his gaze wa
. not heavy now. One eye close'
: slowly. The other burned danger
, ously along the barrel sight. he'll
my breath and waited. 1t seemed fiv,
: minutes before the report came.
Y was probably not three seconds. Whe
: the smoke cleared away the prisone
! lay where he had stood, before tn
7 bar OF Justice.
n 81 don't know exactly what hal
Q pened next. remember wild scran
u BILE for the street, in which | wa
9 drawn rather than joined. hear
T down there that the cowboys ha
: cleared the court, but that the const,
bles had arrested the man who fire
e the shot They said he was the girl
(, hrnthar or nO,,rsa rhay tried the bu