ney home.

Over there where Thornton was known to have enemies, and where his own
presence would not be logically suspected Bas believed he could carry
out such a design and escape the penalty of having his confession
published. This man Will Turk might also prefer such an outcome to the
need of straining his command over the forms of law. If Parish could be
hanged, Bas would be satisfied--but if he escaped he must not escape
far.

"I'm right glad ter talk with ye," said the Virginian, slowly, "because
comin' from over thar whar he's been dwelling at, ye kin kinderly give
me facts thet ther Commonwealth would love ter know," and that utterance
sounded the keynote of the attitude Turk meant to assume and hold.

Bas was disconcerted. This man took his stand solidly on his lawful
interests as the presser of the prosecution, but declined to intimate
any such savagery of spirit as cried out for vengeance, legal or
illegal.

"Suppose he comes cl'ar over thar, atter all?" hazarded the Kentuckian,
sparring to throw upon his companion the burden of making advances.

"I've done told ye I'm confi_dent_ he won't."

"Confi_dent_ hain't plum sartain. Ef thar's any slip-up, what then?"

Will Turk shrugged his shoulders and shook a grave head. He was sitting
with the deeply meditative expression of one who views life and its
problems with a sober sense of human responsibility, and the long
fingertips of one hand rested against the tips of the other.

"I'd hate ter see any _dee_fault of jestice," he made response, "an' I
don't believe any co'te could hardly err in a case like this one.... Ken
Thornton war my brother-in-law an' him an' me loved one another--but
ther man he kilt in cold blood war my own brother by blood--an' I loved
him more. A crime like thet calls out louder fer punishment then one by
a feller ye didn't hev no call ter trust--an' hit stirs a man's hate
deeper down. I aims ter use all ther power I've got, an' spend every
cent I've got, ef need be, ter see Ken Thornton hang." He paused and
fixed the stranger with a searching interest. "I'm beholden ter ye fer
givin' us ther facts thet led ter ketchin' him," he said. "War he an
enemy of your'n, too?"

Rowlett frowned. The man was not only refusing to meet him halfway but
was seeking to wring from him his own motives, yet the question was not
one he could becomingly decline to answer, and if he answered at all, he
must seem candid.

"Him an' me got ter be friend