A Private Chivalry

FOR two weeks after the judge's first interview with his unwilling client the possibility of successfully defending Brant receded steadily, and no new discoveries came to countermine the wall of evidence which was slowly and surely closing in upon him.

In this interval Colonel Bowran had returned, and, contrary to Brant's expectation or desire, had at once championed his draughtsman's cause. There had been more than one stormy interview -- they were tempestuous on the colonel's part, at least -- in which the chief engineer's wrath was directed at Brant's obduracy. And when expostulation and friendly abuse had failed, the colonel sought out Judge Langford and Forsyth, joining forces cordially with the prisoner's friends, but bringing nothing helpful in the way of additional information.