The Spectator., 1916-01-04

rife barrels were trained impartially on Haveys and McBriars. line ot soldiers began pouring out into the roadbed and forming cordons along each side of the track. Both lines moved slowly but unwaveringly for ward, pressing back the crowds before their urgent bayonets.
 Two wicked looking gatling guns were unloaded from the baggage car. and tending them as men might handle beloved pets, came squads whose capes were faced with artillery red
 Shortly a compact little procession in column of fours, with the gatling guns at it's front and a hollow square at it's center. was marching briskly to the courthouse. In the hollow square went the defendant. handcuffed to the sheriff. Without delay or confusion the gatling guns were put in place. one commanding the courthouse square and one casting it's many-eyed glance up the hillside at the back. Then, with the bayonets of sentries
  cupoa rang while Judge Sidering walked calmly into the building and instructed the sheriff to open court.
 His honor had directed that every man save officials who sought admis sion should be disarmed at the door
 Luke ThiXton bent forward in his chair and growled into the ear of Old Milt McBriar, who sat at his left. I've got as much chanst hyar as a | fish on a hilltop Haint ye goin' ter do nothin fer me?"-and Milt looked | about helplessly and swore under his | breath
 One onlooker there had not been searched Young Jeb bore the creden- tials of a special deputy sheriff, and under his coat was a holster with its | flap unbuuoned While the panel was | being selected while lawyers wran l gled and witnesses testified; while the l court gaZed off with half-closed eyes, rousing only to overrule or sustain a motion. young Jeb sat with bis arms on the table, and never did his eyes l leave the face of the accused.
 It was very expeditions trial.
 Judge Sidering glanced at the faces of Old Milt and young Jeb, and had no desire to prolong the agony of those | hours. The defense half-heartedly re- lied upon the old device of false 1 alibi. which the state promptly pune tured. Even the lawyers seemed in haste to be through. and set limit or their arguments.
 At the end his honor read brief in structions. and the panel was locked in it's room.
 Then the McBriars drew a little closer around the chair where Old Milt waited. and the militia captain strengthened his guard outside and began unostentatiously sprinkling uni formed men through the dingy court room until the hodden-gray throng was fecked with blue.
 At length there came rap on the door of the juryroom. and instantly the low drone of voices fell to a hush. His honor poured a glass of water from the clipped pitcher at his elbow. while Luke ThiXton and Milt McBriar for all their immobility of feature, less animal of many legs. the rough throng along the courtroom benches scraped it's feet on the floor Young Jeb shifted his chair a little so that the figure of the defendant might be in an uninterrupted line oi l vic ,,1,t under his coat. and his fingers loosened weapon in it's holster and nprsed the trigger.
 Then. with dragging of shoe-leath CT the twelve good men and true shambled to a semicircle before the the rows of battered law books which served his honor as a background
 There they stood awkwardly in the gaze Of all. Judge Sidering glanced into the beetling countenance of their foreman and inquired in that bored voice which seems a judicial atlecta tion even in questions of life and death: Gentlemen. have you agreed upon verdict?"
 The foreman nodded. The sheet oi paper. which he passed to the clerk had been signed by more than one juror with cross because he could not write.
 We the jury" read the clerk in a clear voice. find the defendant, Luke Thixton. guilty as charged in the in dictment-" There. although he had not yet reached the end. he indulged in a dramatic pause, then read on the more important clause in the terms Of the Kentucky law which leaves the placing of the penalty in the hands of the jurors-"and fix his punishment at death"
 As though relieved from a great pressure. young Jeb McNash withdrew his hand from his holster and settled back in his chair with fixed muscles Judge Siderings formal question broke in on the dead quiet, 50 say you all. gentlemen" and twelve shaggy heads nodded worthless atfirma