g the
options to Rogers and the railroad he had been acting in absolute good
faith and purely in the interests of the people. Not one of these men
had been near the scene of the murder, for the railroad had planned
its campaign comprehensively and had subpoenaed for its side every man
who could have had any direct knowledge of the events leading up to
the tragedy. As line after line of their testimony was stricken from
the record, as being irrelevant, it was seen that the defence had
little or no case. Finally the Judge, tiring of ruling on the single
objections, made a general ruling that no testimony which did not tend
to reveal the identity of the man who had shot Rogers could go into
the record.

Bishop Joseph Winthrop of Alden sat anxiously watching the course of
the trial. Beside him sat little Father Ponfret from French Village.
The little French priest looked up from time to time and guardedly
studied the long angular white head of his bishop as it towered above
him. He did not know, but he could guess some of the struggle that was
going on in the mind and the heart of the Bishop.

The Bishop had come down to the trial to give what aid he could, in
the way of showing his confidence and faith, to the case of the boy
who stood in peril of his life. In the beginning, when he had first
heard of Jeffrey's arrest, he had not thought it possible that, even
had he been guilty of actually firing the shot, Jeffrey could be
convicted under such circumstances. Men must see that the act was in
defence of life and property. But as he listened to the progress of
the trial he realised sadly that he had very much underestimated the
seriousness of the railroad people in the matter and the hold which
they had upon the machinery of justice in Racquette County.

He had gladly offered to go upon the stand and tell the reason why
Jeffrey Whiting had entered into this fight against the railroad. He
would associate himself and his own good name with the things that
Jeffrey Whiting had done, so that the two might stand before men
together. But he now saw that it would be of no avail. His words would
be swept aside as irrelevant.

One thing and only one thing would now avail Jeffrey Whiting. This
morning on his arrival in Danton, the Bishop had been angered at
learning that the two men whose lives he had saved that night by the
lake at French Village had escaped from the train as they were being
brought from Lowville to Danton to tes