self staring into the muzzles
of three revolvers, held by two masked men, who stood looking over the
footboard. Bidding them move at their peril, the man with two
revolvers remained to guard the doctor and his wife, while the other
began to ransack the room. As he did so, he carried on an easy, if not
eloquent, dissertation upon the rights of man and the iniquitous
conditions which made it necessary for the poor and oppressed to
obtain by force, if they obtained at all, any share in the privileges
and riches of the wealthy. As he discoursed, at times carried away by
his theme, he gave over his search and paused to enforce his points
with earnest gestures. This caused the other robber some disquietude
and he cursed his compatriot and the doctor and his wife with a use of
epithets that will not bear repeating and which showed him to be none
other than a low ruffian. At last all the treasure in the room being
taken and the doctor being forced to accompany them and disclose the
repository of other valuables, the robbers took their departure.

Some weeks after this, two persons suspected of being responsible for
certain robberies were taken into custody and the doctor called into
court to identify them if possible.

"I noticed," said he, "that the shorter of the two masked men was
prone to gesticulation and that he had a fashion of holding his arms
close to his body, as if tied at the elbows, and with hands fully
open, fingers apart, thumbs extended, and palms upward, waving his
forearms----"

At this juncture, the smile on the face of the defendant's counsel,
occasioned by thus putting his client upon his guard, was dispelled by
an angry exclamation from the person in question, and denying with
some loquacity and even more vociferation that he ever made such a
gesture, at the close of his statement, behold, he made the gesture!

By the doctor's testimony was a chain of incriminating evidence
established that led to a sentence of ten years' imprisonment being
imposed upon the robbers. When he had heard the sentence, he of the
gestures turned fiercely toward the doctor and cried:

"You'll be killed for this, like other dogs before you for the same
cause. If you're not killed before I am discharged or escape, I'll
kill you. But I am only one of many, a tried band who avenge;" and
hereupon he smote the rail in front of him, "Knock, knock--knock;
knock, knock--knock." And from several parts of the silent room came
answers,