He sent word to the
sheriff to come and get him if he dared."
"Boys," says the colonel, "I'm preaching you
higher doctrine than I've lived by, and I've made
no claim to be better or more moral than any of
you. I'm not. I'm in the same boat with all of
you, and I tell you it's up to ALL of us to stop lynch-
ings in this county--to set our faces against it.
I tell you--"
"Is that all you've got to say to us, colonel?"
The question come out of a group that had drawed
nearer together whilst the colonel was talking.
They was tired of listening to talk and arguments,
and showed it.
The colonel stopped speaking short when they
flung that question at him. His face changed.
He turned serious all over. And he let loose jest
one word:
"NO!"
Not very loud, but with a ring in it that sounded
like danger. And he got 'em waiting agin, and
hanging on his words.
"No!" he repeats, louder, "not all. I have this
to say to you--"
And he paused agin, pointing one long white
finger at the crowd--
"IF YOU LYNCH THIS MAN YOU MUST KILL ME FIRST!"
I couldn't get away from thinking, as he stood
there making them take that in, that they was some-
thing like a play-actor about him. But he was in
earnest, and he would play it to the end, fur he
liked the feelings it made circulate through his
frame.
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