At sight of Yancy a smothered exclamation broke
from his lips, he had supposed this man dead these many months!
Hues had abandoned his post and the crowd, suddenly grown
clamorous, stormed the narrow entrance. One of the doors, borne
from its hinges, went down with a crash. The judge, a fierce
light flashing from his eyes, turned to Yancy.
"No matter what happens, this fellow Murrell is not to escape--if
he calls on his friends to rescue him he is to be shot!"
The hall was filling with swearing, struggling men, the floor
shook beneath their heavy tread; then they burst into the
court-room and saluted Murrell with a great shout. But Murrell,
bound, in rags, and silent, his lips frozen in a wolfish grin,
was a depressing sight, and the boldest felt something of his
unrestrained lawlessness go from him.
Less noisy now, the crowd spread itself out among the benches or
swarmed up into the tiny gallery at the back of the building.
Man after man had hurried forward, intent on passing beyond the
railing, but each lead encountered the judge, formidable and
forbidding, and had turned aside. Gradually the many pairs of
eyes roving over the little group surrounding the outlaw focussed
themselves on Slocum Price. It was in unconscious recognition of
that moral force which was his, a tribute to the grim dignity of
his unshaken courage; what he would do seemed worth considering.
He was charmed to hear his name pass in a whisper from lip to
lip.
Pages:
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430