But Buck Hightower
jumps up impatient and says:
"We've been through all that, Billy. That man
there has been tried and found guilty, colonel, and
there's only one thing to do--string him up."
"Buck, _I_ wouldn't," says the colonel, very mild.
But that there man Grimes gets up very sober
and steady and says:
"Colonel, you don't understand." And he tells
him the hull thing as he believed it to be--why
they has voted the doctor must die, the room warm-
ing up agin as he talks, and the colonel listening
very interested. But you could see by the looks of
him that colonel wouldn't never be interested so
much in anything but himself, and his own way of
doing things. In a way he was like a feller that
enjoys having one part of himself stand aside and
watch the play-actor game another part of himself
is acting out.
"Grimes," he says, when the pock-marked man
finishes, "I wouldn't. I really wouldn't."
"Colonel," says Grimes, showing his knowledge
that they are all standing solid behind him, "WE
WILL!"
"Ah," says the colonel, his eyebrows going up,
and his face lighting up like he is really beginning
to enjoy himself and is glad he come, "indeed!"
"Yes," says Grimes, "WE WILL!"
"But not," says the colonel, "before we have
talked the thing over a bit, I hope?"
"There's been too much talk here now," yells
Buck Hightower, "talk, talk, till, by God, I'm sick
of it! Where's that ROPE?"
"But, listen to him--listen to the colonel!" some
one else sings out.
Pages:
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268