Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Freak CHAPTER V TRAINOR’S DEFENSE HE court-room was packed with a well-dressed crowd that seemed to think the scene set for a comedy. But the Girl was waiting at home, and among the students on the front seats one at least felt mighty sick and shaky. ‘Will you look at all the coons!”” I said to Bill. ‘Where did Nutting get ’em? I sup- pose they will swear to anything.” “Sure! So much the better!” Just then Kinyon climbed over the benches and squeezed in with us. He looked really haggard. He said, ‘‘Can’t that luna- tic be persuaded to go back on his word?” His voice was shaky. ‘This thing started in fun, but he’s sure of a big fine; it will mean his leaving college, and you know how things are with him—he’s had trouble at home— and to go back in disgrace! He takes things so hard, I—I’m afraid it would be suicidal!” ‘This is a pretty time to talk like that! You knew all that when you egged him on to it!’ I was not touched by his repent- ance, but he wasn’t half bad at bottom. ‘“‘Here he comes!’’ Bill nudged me. Never had I seen Trainor look so well- groomed nor so big-manly. As he took his seat at the bar he whispered something to the officer beside him, and that worthy got red in the face. Then he coolly searched the room for us, and with impassive face winked his off eye at Kinyon. Kinyon choked with a hysterical giggle, and I pitied him. ‘““He must have a card up his sleeve,” I whispered. , _ “Td give a fortune to be sure of it!” ‘ The case was called at once, and the questioning of witnesses began. Nutting was his own first witness, and made his testimony as damaging as he knew how. Pigeons had been shot at all times of the day and night and all over the place; he had been injured in pocket and in his feelings. Money would be no balm for his wounded sensibilities, but he had lost more than a hundred dollars’ worth of pigeons, and every one on the place had lived in ‘terror of sudden death from this Western desperado; servants had left and his wife had been made ill; his once happy home had been the scene of carnage and slaughter, etc., etc. The really good lawyer whom Nutting had employed at great expense made the g6I most of the testimony, and when he lowered his three hundred pounds into his chair the smiles had left the faces of the spectators. Trainor had listened intently to the testi- mony. Twice he had said, “‘I object to the question!”’ and his objection had been sustained. Now he quietly waived cross- examination, and the judge cast at him a sidelong look of perplexity. . Then the ‘‘col’ed gentlemen” were called in turn. They more than bore out the state- ments of their employer. In fact, with the fear of cross-examination removed, they thought to help the cause along; and their wild exaggeration forced the pompous attor- ney to cut their protestations short. Trainor maintained his silence, except for a few more objections, which were always sustained. _The judge seemed to want to give him a square deal or a little better, but when the last witness had stepped down, his fine old face wore a worried frown. For all the childish} contradictions of the colored witnesses, it was clear that the big fair-haired student rested under a serious charge. ‘The intelligent onlookers already seemed to sense his desperately earnest emotional nature, and to feel sympathetic- ally how ruinous would be the results of defeat. One or two women in the low gallery broke out into sudden hysterical laughter, smothered as soon as it attracted their own startled attention. Then in the strained hush the pompous lawyer rose. He began in a gravely colloquial tone, but quickly rose tostrenuous tragic denunciation. He painted in vivid color, the deeds of bloody slaughter: ‘‘ This depraved being has shot the little innocent birds in wanton, savage cruel- ty—shot them on the earth—as they soared aloft in the pure air of heaven—as they cooed their love to their mates—to gratify a mor- bid thirst for revenge, in a spirit of reckless and brutal contempt for life and property! “This Wild Man from the West has im- ported the lawless and primitive customs of the Plains, to terrify and despoil his virtuous and peaceable neighbors! Who can esti- mate the damage he has done, the evil he has wrought by his vicious example?” His voice trembled with righteous anger. ‘‘The very least that can be done is to make of him an example and a warning to potential 'malefactors; anything less would be an affront to decent citizenship, an open in- centive to ruthless destruction of life and property, to disregard of law!” C© MICLOOKS C©