The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-04-14

cupied by .urlous citizens, gazing in
from the wooden gallery. Those to the
north. thrown wide open to let in the
air, were clear, and looked out over
confused muddle of shingled roofs and
stovepipe chimnays.. Hardly whisper
passed from lip to lip as the orderly
hustled away. Members of the court
fidgeted with their sash tassels or made
pretense Of writing.
Nevins, the sheriff's officer in close
attendance, sat staring at the doorway,
his face ashen and beginning to bead
with sweat. Presently the people in the
hall gave way right and left, and all
eyes'save those Of Loring were intent
upon the entrance. He sat coolly lool,.
ing at the man whom six months before
he had convicted in Arizona. There was
stir in the courtroom. Half the people
rose to their feet and stared, for slowly
entering upon the arm of a tall, slim,
long legged lieutenant of infantry, a
stranger to every man in the court,
came slender, shrinking little maid,
whose heavy eyelashes swept her cheeks,
whose dark, shapely head hung BASH
fully. Behind them, in the garb of some
religious order, unknown to all save one
or two in the crowded room, came
gentle faced woman, leaning on the
arm Of field officer Of the engineers,
at sight of whom the president sprang
from his chair, intending to bow, but
the silence was suddenly broken by the
quick, stern order, "Look out for your
prisoner" followed by a rush, crash
ing OF overturned chairs. as court and
spectators, too, started to their feet-a
general scurry to the northward win
dows, shouts of "Halt!" "Head him
off" Stop himl'' in the midst of
which light, supple form was seen to
poise one instant on the sill, then go
leaping into space
He's killed!"
"He's not!
"He's up again!"
He's off were the cries, and with
drawn revolver the deputy sheriff fought
his way through the throng at the door,
and with dozen men at his heels dart
ed down the hallway in vain pursuit of
Nevins, now out OF sight among the
shanties hall block away.
OF all that followed before court,
when at last it came to order, there ia
little need to tell. The judge advocate
would have been glad to drop the case
then and there, but now the defense had
the floor and kept it, though not word
Of evidence was needed.
The first witness sworn was Lieuten-
ant Blake. who told of the trick by
which he and his men, Loring's guards,
had been lured from the camp at San
cho's ranch and of their finding Loring
senseless. bleeding aud robbed on their
return.
The next was little Pancha, and Lor-
ing satwith his hand shading his blue
eyes as the pallid maid, with piteously
quivering lips at times. with brave ef
fort to force back her tears, in English
only little better than that in which
she had poured out her fears to Blake
that eventual night at ella Bend-some-
times indeed, having to speak in Span
ish with the gray sister sworn as her in
terpreter-told the primitive story of
her knowledge of and connection with
Sancho's wicked band.
Her dear father and her stepmother
were ruled by Sancho. She had seen
Nevins there often, chin who had fled
through the window. I" She gathered
enough from what she heard about the
ranch to realize that they were plan.
ming to rob the officer, "this Officer
before he could get away with the dia-
monds
Nevins had ridden in with six men,
bad men, that very night, and she heard
him planning with Sancho and her
father, and she had tried to warn the
officers, and "this gentleman" BLAKE
this time) had come, and before she
could tell him she was followed and
discovered. But then her stepmother
had later whispered awful things to
her-how they were going to rob the
stage and kill the passengers-and babe
her take her guitar and try to call the
officer again, and tell him to take his
soldiers and go to the rescue, and this
she had done, eagerly, and then when
they were away her mother seized her
and drew her into the room and shut
her there. But she heard horsemen rush
into the camp, and a minute later New
ins, jeering and laughing in the bar,
and that very night they took her away,
her and her father and the stepmother,
oud Nouis,c uyac with fhoy,,
They went by Tucson to Hermosillo
and to Guaymas, and her mother told
her she. must never breathe what she
knew-it would ruin her father, whom
she loved, yes, dearly, and whom she
would not believe had anything to do
with it, And at Hermosillo Nevins had
the watch. the diamond ring, the dia-
mond stud, these very ones, she was
sure, as the valuable "exhibits'' were
displayed.
But at San Francisco when the lady
superior told her of the accusation