"A rope necktie ain't a-goin' to hurt
no one as long as he keeps his heft off'n it. As I was goin' on to
say, we'll run him up this coulee an' a while later the boys'll ride
back to town in the same semmey-serious mood that accompanies such
similar enterprises. They won't do no talkin' an' they won't need to.
Folks will naturally know that justice has be'n properly dispensed
with, an' that their taxes won't raise none owin' to county funds bein'
misdirected in prosecutin' a public benefactor--an' they'll be
satisfied. The preacher'll preach a long sermon condemnin' the takin'
of human life without due process of law, an' the next Sunday he'll
preach another one about the onchristian shootin' of folks without
givin' 'em a chanct to repent--after they'd drawed--an' he'll use the
lynchin' as a specimen of the workin's of the hand of the Lord in
bringin' speedy justice onto the murderer.
"But they ain't be'n no lynchin' done. 'Cause the boys will turn the
prisoner over to me an' I'll hustle him acrost to the N. P. an' let him
get out of the country."
Alice Marcum leaped to her feet: "Oh, are you telling me the truth?
How do I know you're not going to lynch him? I told him I'd stay with
him and see him through!"
The Texan regarded her gravely: "You can," he said after a moment of
silence.
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