"You know me," he says. "You know I do not
break my word. And I promise you that unless you
do kill me here tonight--yes, as God is my witness,
I THREATEN you--I will spend every dollar I own and
every atom of influence I possess to bring each one
of you to justice for that man's murder."
They knowed, that crowd did, that killing a man
like Colonel Buckner--a leader and a big man in
that part of the state--was a different proposition
from killing a stranger like Doctor Kirby. The
sense of what it would mean to kill Colonel Buckner
was sinking into 'em, and showing on their faces.
And no one could look at him standing there, with
his determination blazing out of him, and not under-
stand that unless they did kill him as well as Doctor
Kirby he'd do jest what he said.
"I told you," he said, not raising his voice, but
dropping it, and making it somehow come creeping
nearer to every one by doing that, "I told you the
first white man you lynched would lead to other
lynchings. Let me show you what you're up
against to-night.
"Kill the man and the boy here, and you must
kill me. Kill me, and you must kill Old Man
Withers, too."
Every one turned toward the door as he men-
tioned Old Man Withers. He had never been very
far into the room.
"Oh, he's gone," said Colonel Tom, as they
turned toward the door, and then looked at each
other.
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