Charlie Pickett, sitting back among the spectators, felt the hot blood surge into his face, and the paternal passion flood his heart. He longed to take this boy at once in his arms,--this boy whose frank acknowledgment of his fault had brought tears to a hundred eyes, whose simple story of dreadful daring for conscience’ sake had thrilled every breast in the court room,--to take him at once into the shelter of his love, and keep him and protect him against all the world. But Marshall was asking his last question. “Have you anything more to say, Dannie, in extenuation of your conduct? I do not know what action, if any, the officers of the D. V. & E. will take against you. Your offence was certainly a serious one. But, in view of any possible punishment they may have in mind for you, I want to give you this opportunity for any further explanation you may wish to make.” “I’ve nothing more to say,” replied Dannie, wearily; “I’ve told you all. I’m ready to be punished for what I’ve done. I made up my mind to that before I came here. I’m willin’ to go to jail; except that I’d be sorry for the disgrace I’d brought on Gran’pap an’ Aunt Martha. They brought me up to be honest an’ good. An’ I’d be sorry on account of my father, too, very sorry, if he should ever know about it. But I’ve no complaint to make, an’ I’ll try to stand whatever comes without cryin’.” Yet even as he spoke, the boy’s lips trembled, and great tears filled his eyes. He could not help thinking of those gloomy and forbidding cells in the county jail. A gentleman who had been sitting inside the bar, listening intently to the testimony, came over hurriedly and whispered to Marshall. The latter rose at once from his chair, and said to Dannie:-- “Mr. Rayburn, the general manager of the D. V. & E. just informs me that his company will not prosecute you for your offence against the law. He says he believes that your conscience, has already punished you with sufficient severity to say nothing of what you have endured in forcing your way here through this terrible storm to set us right on what has been, heretofore, an unexplainable mystery. Moreover, he wishes me to thank you for your frank and manly statement of the facts. That is all. You may leave the stand.”