The Lamar register., 1908-06-10
CHAPTER xIx.-continued d.

CHAPTER xlx.-Continued.
1t was a straight story and appar-
emily damaging for the prosecution. 1t
corroborated the attestations of other
witnesses-many others. 1t had a
plausible ring to it. Two bills of sale
radiated atmospheric legality. If there
had been dirty work it must have orig
inted with that renegade halfbreed.
Yellow Wolf And Yellow Wolf was
dead. He had died while serving a
term in the penitentiary for cattle
rustlng. Uncle Sam himself had set
the seal upon him-and now he was
dead This insinuated charge he
could not answer. The finality of it
seemed to set its stamp upon the peo-
pie gathered there-upOn the ~ good
men and true. as well as upon others.
Yellow Wolf was dead. George VIII
liston was dead. Their secrets had
died with them. An inscrutable fate
had lowered the veil Who could
pierce 1t? One might believe. but who
could know? And the law required
knowledge.
1--WE will call Charlie Nightbird."
said Small. complacently.
There was a little waiting silence
a breathless. palpitating silence.
"Is Charlie Nightbird present."
asked Small. casting rather anxious
eyes over the packed, intent faces.
Charlie Nightbird was not present. At
least he made no sign of coming for
ward The face of the young counsel
for the state was immobile during the
brief time they waited for Charlie
Nightbird-whose dark, frozen face
at that moment turned toward the
cold, sparkling sky. and who would
never come, not II they waited for
him till the last dread trump of the
last dread day.
There was some mistake. Counsel
had been misinformed. Nightbird
was an important witness. He had
been reported present. Never mind.
He was probably unavoidably detained
by the storm. They would call Jesse
Big Cloud and others to corroborate
the defendants statements - which
they did, and the story was sustained
in all its parts, major and minor. Then
the defense rested.
Richard Gordon arose from his
chair His face was white. His lean
jaws were set. His eyes were steel.
He was anything but a lover now, this
man Gordon.
Your honor. I ask permission of
the court to call a witness in direct
testimony. assure your honor that
the state had used all efforts in its
power to obtain the presence of this
witness before resting its case. but
had failed and believed at the time
that he could not be produced. The
witness is now here and I consider
his testimony of the utmost impor-
lance in this case"
Counsel for the defendant objected
strenuously, but the court granted the
petition. He wanted to hear every
thing that might throw some light on
the dark places in the evidence.
Il call Mr.. George Williston," said
Gordon.
Had the strain crazed him? Louise
covered her eyes with her hands.
Men sat is If dazed. And thus, the
cynosure of all eyes-stupefed eyes
Williston of the ravaged Lazy S, thin
and worn but calm, natural and schol-
arly-looking as of old-walked from
the light and knowledge of men once
more and raised his hand for the oath.
Small's face was 1udicrous in Its
drop-jawed establishment. The little
lawyers face was a study. A look OF
defiance had crept into the defend
ants countenance.
The preliminary questions were
asked and answered.
Mr.. Williston, you may state where
you were and what you saw on the
18th day of July last"
Williston, the unfortunate gentle
man and scholar. the vanquished cow
man, for brief while the most i'm
portant man in the county. perhaps,
was about to uncover to mems under
standing the dark secret hitherto OBJ
secured by cloud Of supposition and
hearsay. He told the story of his
visit to the island, and he told 1t well.
1; was enough. Gordon asked no furth-
er questions regarding that event
"And now, Mr.. Williston. you may
tell what happened to you on the
night of the Both of last August?"
Williston began to tell the story OF
the night attack upon the Lazy s,
when the galvanic Small jumped to
his feet. The little lawyer touched
him with light hand.
Your honor" he said. smoothly. Il
object to that as incompetent, irrele-
want and immaterial, and not binding
on the defendant"
Your honor" interrupted Gordon,
with great scalmness. I'VE intend to
show you before we get through that
this testimony is competent, and that
1t is binding upon the defendant"
WAS the defendant there?"
The defendant was there"