Gordon Young

“ You know their rights. You can get them off. By God, sir, you could acquit the devil before a jury of parsons. And law must be upheld, respected!"
"Sir," said Judge Deering with solemn and dignified anger, straightening his large rotund body. "You are right. The law must be upheld and respected. The law accords to each man, whatever his villainy, certain rights. And I, sir," continued the judge with gathering wrath, "have too great a veneration for the majesty of the law to cheat even a scoundrel out of his right to be hanged legally!"
Col. Nevinson looked at him blankly, dumbfounded. ”

“ In all parts of the city they began to slink from sight, for other men, as as brave if not as dramatic as Brannan, had mounted boxes and barrels and roofs.
Then the miners, the citizens, the strangers, with that sudden and orderly movement of purpose that was repeatedly, all during the gold-days of California, to appall cocksure scoundrels who felt security in their numbers, and to astonish the world by the composure and firmness of what was, after all, mob-rule, organized themselves into four companies, of a hundred men each, and began at once to search out and arrest the Hounds. ”

“ Hales, who stood nearby, a companion of Kern's in the Hound hunting, listened in amazement to the dramatic and sonorous power of Judge Deering's words. His great full face was ablaze with passion, his words with eloquence; his big body, that seemed sluggish and nearly awkward in daily inter course, now had a bearing of majesty; he was towering and vigorous, his gestures were full of command; he moved men, and all the more remarkably since he appealed not to their violence, but to their judgment.
"—better ten guilty men live than put to death one innocent——"
His voice flowed out over the Plaza. ”

“ Why, there on the Plaza you spoke in their their defense!"
"No, sir! No, sir! I did not! With the last breath that is in my body, sir, I will defend any man's right to trial trial by jury. I will defend any man's right to all the safeguards prescribed by law—but seek to have have guilty men acquitted, no! ”

“ Instead of growing better after the doctor came late at night, Anna began to hover in unconsciousness between life and death, as if she were to occupy indefinitely a room and bed, crowding Tota to a couch and into ill-humor. ”

“ Hales felt actually a chill as he watched and listened; he did not feel that it was better ten guilty men live than that one who was not so guilty be put to death, but he did feel the tremendous personality and convictions of this man who urged a mob to respect the law of the land.
When at the end of some fifteen minutes Judge Deering stopped, and looked about over the mass of men, there was silence. The man by Kern who held a coil of rope dropped it with a half-furtive movement. The wretched Hounds, grouped under a guard, stared upward at Judge Deering in pitiable thankfulness. ”

“ Ferdinand was there. Col. Nevinson, somewhat anxiously, had hurried back to the balcony apartment where Ilona, with the patience of grief, waited through the delay of the colonel's many distractions that she might accompany her father's body on its way to the ranch for burial. He told Ferdinand not to let Ilona out of his sight, and something of why; but just as soon as the colonel himself was out of sight, Ferdinand hurried off to make his peace with the good Doña, who never forgave a man.
Elvira was sitting rigidly in a chair, and broodingly waited the coming of Hales, for whom she had sent. ”

“ Nevinson glared at each of them in turn. He was surrounded by men, quiet and stern, who personally respected him; but this was duty.
"Why"—with many oaths—"do you arrest me?"
"We believe that you instigated the attack on the Chileans."
"Hell-and- fire, sir! I did! Not on the Chileans alone, but on all the damn greasers in California!"
"Kindly come with us, Colonel."
"Where to? What for, sir?"
"You will be placed under guard until your trial."
"You, sir, can go to hell!" said the colonel. "Brave men, you are! Six of you! On one man with a crippled arm! I repeat, sir, you can all go to hell!" ”

“ She had sent the mulatto Sam all about the city until he found the colonel and delivered a message that she wished to see him. But Col. Nevinson, besides not caring to go to her, was in a state of exasperated activity, attending to many things.
Finally the mulatto came with a new message, edged with anger and imperative, which said that if Col. Nevinson did not come to her within an hour, she would come to him, wherever he might be!
To the good Doña it seemed that this was the unluckiest of days. Anna Hales was on her hands and sick, not only sick but near to death. ”

“ Nevinson made his way to Judge Deering's office and found him there, alone.
"Sir," said the colonel, "I want to congratulate you for the admirable address on the Plaza. Law must be upheld!" With a careless fling he threw a bag of gold on the table. "There's your retainer, Deering. Seventeen have been arrested by this mob. They have legal rights, those boys. They acted a little wild, but they did the city a service in cleaning out the greasers. I put them up to it, sir, and I'll stand by them now. You take care of them and I'll take care of you. This public excitement will soon blow over. ”

“ Judge Deering smiled slightly, but answered gravely:
"Then, sir, you would be wrong!"
3 Col. Nevinson was in a state of astonished anger at the uprising of citizens; and there was also talk of holding him responsible for the outrage to the Chileans. Moreover, other men, politicians, who had supported and profited by the Hounds as much as himself, were running to cover, hastening to make their peace with the mob leaders, abandoning the Hounds to rope, whip, or whatever else the mob might decide upon.
Even he had been advised by friends to leave the city for a time. ”

“ Mostly they scattered among mining camps where many of them, with an ease that must have astonished their simple minds after the long lawless impudence with which they pestered San Francisco, succeeded in getting themselves hanged. ”

“ You are with out a single police officer or watchman, and you have not the means of confining a prisoner for an hour; neither have you a place to shelter while living, sick and unfortunate strangers who may be cast upon our shores, or to bury them when dead. ”