re as thar is a God in
heaven, th' tew men that I saw a-ridin' by me, with that dead body on
th' hoss ahind them, are a-standin' right thar!" and he pointed straight
toward Thure and Bud.

A sound of horror and of rage went up from the surrounding crowd, a
sound that had the promise of dreadful things to come in it.

The alcalde leaped to his feet, his face looking white and drawn; for he
knew that now the two boys were doomed, and, somehow, in spite of all
the terrible evidence, he could not look into their clear-eyed faces and
believe them guilty of such a horrible crime.

"Silence! Silence, men!" he commanded, stretching out both of his hands
imperatively. "Silence! I have questions, important questions to ask the
witness."

Almost instantly the great crowd became still, so anxious were all now
to hear every word.

"John Skoonly," and the alcalde turned to the witness, "you swear that
you saw two men start to the rescue of the murdered man. Did you see
these two men plainly enough to recognize them should you see them
again?"

"Sart'in'," replied the man promptly, and, whirling about, he pointed to
Quinley and Ugger, "Thar they stand. I'd know them mugs ag'in anywhar,"
and he grinned.

"Why," continued the alcalde, "did you not make your presence known to
these two men, at least after the murderers had ridden off? There would
not have been any danger then," and he smiled scornfully; "and they
might have been of help to you in your crippled condition."

"Wal," answered the man frankly, turning and looking squarely into the
faces of Ugger and Quinley, "tew be honest, I didn't like th' looks of
them tew faces none tew much; an', as I had consider'ble of money 'long
with me, I reckoned 'twould be safer for me tew travel alone jest then,
so I jest sneaked out 'tother side of th' trees an' rode back tew th'
trail alone."

Quinley and Ugger scowled at this frank reference to their looks; and a
few in the encircling crowd laughed grimly. Plainly there could be no
collusion between this witness and Ugger and Quinley; and this apparent
fact gave almost the positiveness of proven truth to his testimony, in
the eyes of the crowd.

"Then," and the alcalde looked sharply into the face of the witness,
"you never saw either William Ugger or Spikenard Quinley, until you saw
them, as described in your testimony, on the day of the murder?"

"If y'ur meanin' that little pock-marked runt an' that big red-readed
feller with