but Burney, can you
throw any light on these tracks leading here?" Burney told them of the
two men, of their wanting his boat to cross the river. "They went down
the shore," said Burney, "about twenty minutes ago; your dogs oughtn't
to have much trouble in locating the track, but tell me what's wrong?"
The man holding the dogs answered, "Casper Daniel's country store was
robbed and burned just after he had gone to bed, and Daniels was either
murdered or lost in the fire."
Shawn shuddered and crept back into the boat. The men put the dogs on
the trail. Shawn heard them baying as they went down through the deep
cottonwood grove. "No sleep for me to-night," said Burney. The voices of
the hounds came in faint baying. Burney restlessly paced the shore until
the first streaks of dawn. About five o'clock he heard the men coming
back. They came down to the boat. Handcuffed together were the two
criminals, their haggard faces bore the look of despair. They were
sullen and silent, and as Shawn stood gazing at them, he could not
repress a feeling of pity, although their hands were stained with human
blood. They were taken up the road to the little town and placed in the
jail. Shawn and Burney followed the men. Around the jail was a crowd of
excited men and loud voices were heard on every side. Men were coming
out of the saloon on the corner just beyond the jail. They stood around
in groups and angry mutterings were heard. Suddenly there seemed to be a
concerted move in front of the jail. A young lawyer sprang upon a box
and pleaded with the crowd to let the law take its course.
"Law!" exclaimed a black-whiskered man, "we've never had any law that
money couldn't buy!"
"Hang 'em! Hang 'em!" yelled the crowd. A rush was made for the jail.
The jailor was making a feeble pretense of protecting his prisoners. A
heavy sledge crashed against the door, the jailor was knocked down and
the keys taken from him.
"There they are! Bring 'em out!"
The poor wretches were dragged out, moaning piteously and begging for
their lives. Shawn turned away, sick at heart, but something seemed to
hold him to the spot.
"Don't kill us, men, for God's sake don't kill us!" pleaded one of the
criminals but his voice was drowned in the uproar of the maddened crowd.
"That lower limb will do, boys, everybody pull!"
A cloud afar off in the sky seemed to float across the sun. They cut the
two rigid bodies down at noon. Shawn and Burney returned to th
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