quartette of figures detached themselves and formed a squad facing
the captives and when the shoe had been passed from hand to hand along
their line Turner went forward with his inquisition. From no other
throat came a syllable of sound.

"I wants every man thet's willin' ter take oath thet he recognizes thet
sole--as ther same one thet made them prints--ter raise his right hand
above his head. Ef he hain't p'intedly sure, let him keep his arms
down, an' ef he misdoubts hit's ther same identical shoe, let him hold
up his left hand."

In prompt unison four right hands came up, and, having testified, the
mute witnesses fell back again to their places against the walls.

"Does ye _ree_cognize anybody else, thet war thar?" Kelly was
questioned and without a falter of doubt he again thrust an index
finger forward close to the blanching face of Charlie Reverdy.

Jim Towers stood bracing himself with a stiff-necked effort at
defiance. He was caught by an overwhelming force of his enemies--and no
help was at hand. No rescue was possible and he expected death, as in
similar circumstances, he would have inflicted it. But the sneer which
he forced to his lips could not out-testify the sickly green of his
pallor as he awaited his sentence.

When the identification of Reverdy had been also corroborated by
similar procedure, Bear Cat turned once more to confront Towers.

"Hev ye any denial ter make? Hev ye anything ter say?"

"All I've got ter say," was the insolent retort, "air thet ye kin go
ter hell. Finish up yore murder ... ye kain't affright me none."

"Burnin' down dwellin' houses air a grave matter," pursued Stacy with a
grim calm. "Hangin' hain't none too severe fer any man thet would
foller hit. So we hyarby sentences ye ter death--but we suspends ther
sentence. We don't aim ter hang ye--leastways not yit." After a pause
freighted with deep anxiety for the accused he added, "All we aims ter
do with ye air ter tie ye on bare-backed mules thet's right bony an'
slavish ter ride, an' ter tek ye acrost ther line inter Virginny." The
tone in which the edict was pronounced bore inexorable and sincere
finality.

"But from thar on, both of ye air ter leave ther mountings an' never
come back ter this community ergin. An' ef ye _does_ undertake ter come
back, we swears afore Almighty God ter kill ye both--an' onless ye both
gives yore solemn oath ter faithfully obey this command--we'll kill ye
now an' hyar."

There was no