owin' to politics," continued
the cowpuncher, rolling and lighting a cigarette. "Politics, an' the
fact that the cow country is in its dotage. Choteau County is growin'
effeminate, not to say right down effete when a lynchin', that by
rights it would be stretching its importance even to refer to it in
conversation, is raised to the dignity of a political issue. As
everyone knows, a hangin' is always a popular play, riddin' the
community of an ondesirable, an' at the same time bein' a warnin' to
others to polish up their rectitude. But it seems, from what I was
able to glean, that this particular hangin' didn't win universal
acclaim, owin' to the massacre of Purdy not bein' deplored none."

Once more the half-breed emitted a strangling cough, and Tex eyed him
narrowly. "Somethin' seems to ail your throat."

"_Oui_, A'm swal' de piece tabac'."

"Well just hang onto it 'til it gets a little darker an' we'll have
supper," said the Texan, dryly, and resumed.

"So there was some talk disparagin' to the lynchin', an' the party
that's in, holdin' its tenure by the skin of its teeth, an' election
comin' on, sided in with public opinion an' frowned on the lynchin',
not as a hangin', you onderstand, but because the hangin' didn't
redound none to their particular credit--it not being legal an'
regular. All this is brewed while the dance is goin' on, an' by
breakfast time next mornin', there bein' a full quorum of Republican
war chiefs on hand, they pulls a pow-wow an' instructs their deputies
to round up the lynchers. This is done, barrin' a few that's flitted,
the boys bein' caught unawares. Well, things begun lookin' serious to
'em, an' as a last resort they decided to fall back on the truth. So
they admits that there ain't no lynchin'. They tells how, after they'd
got out on the bench a piece they got to thinkin' that the demise of
Purdy ain't a serious matter, nohow, so they turned him loose. 'Where
is he, then?' says a county commissioner. 'Search us,' replies the
culprits. 'We just turned him loose an' told him to _vamoose_. We
didn't stick around an' herd him!'" Again Bat coughed, and the Texan
glared at him.

"Maybe a drink of water would help them lacerated pipes of yourn," he
suggested, "an' besides it's dark enough so you can start supper
a-goin'."

"But," said Endicott, "won't that get the boys all into serious trouble
for aiding and abetting a prisoner to escape? Accessories after the
fact, is w