The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-10-27

fer TO It. Right here onder this here
| warnut tree we're a-goin' to hold cote
ana have yore trial. by jedge aad Jury
ana you'll shore git whats a-comln
| -"
Bill Dale cut in with some bitter
ness: "And you'll be the Judge, and
your plans have already been laid, and
I'm to be hanged by the neck until
dead; eh2 Well. you'n pay dearly for
II, l promise you. We always have
to pay for what we get, you know.
The Morelands and the Littlefords will
be quick to settle the account. You
know that"
NO" old Ball disagreed hotly. 81
don't know that"
He turned 10 the others.
"Set down, boys. It's the same price
as standin'. The jury will please set
over thar" pointing to his right. "The
prisner and his guards will please set
right over thar" pointing to his left.
The hon'rable jedge, which same is
me, VIII please set right thar" indi-
eating a spot at the base OF the gnarIed
walnut. THE rest" he finished, Twill
set anywhar they d-n pleases. Set
down, men,"
HIS orders were obeyed. Dale found
himself sitting on the ground between
two pairs OF mountaineers and facing
line OF twelve mountaineers-the so
called jury. To his left was the self
appointed judge, and TO his right
lounged a score or more of men whose
attention was then being turned TO-
ward a jug OF fiery new whisky that
had never been near TO revenue
stamp or anything else that was hon
est. The jug Travelled rapidly from
one hairy mouth TO another.
Old Ball passed the jug to a mem,
Der OF the jury" and announced:
well, dammit, co'te's open now"
Kitty. kitty, klttyi" taunted Walt
Turner Pore little kittyi"
The mockery began. II was ridicu.
lous, and yet 1t was grim. Adam
Balls father himself furnished most
Of the evidence; also he acted as
attorney. OF course there
was no counsel for the defense, and
i wouldn't have helped IL Dale had |
lad proverbial Philadelphia lawyer
IN the grounds; all the proof and elo.
luence and pleading in the world never
would have changed, in the slightest de-
rec, the sentence that had been cut and
Tried for Bill Dale. The mock trial
vas being held solely because the
Balls and Torreys felt that by hold
ng IL they were insulting the majesty
II the law and making their ven
eance sweeter. II became worse than
travesty.
Night fell during the wordy and
rofane harangue Of the Ball leader,
nd II was ordered that fire be built
{ once. At once a fire was built, dry
rushwood being used, and In its red
nd fiickering glare the faces OF the
illmen looked doubly dark and doubly
licked. Then the judge begged
hew OF tobacco and deliberately kept
he whole twist, and told the jury to
0 out and bring back verdict with.
NJ losing time.
The twelve mountalneers rose un-
eadily and went to the creek, and
lere one Of them uncovered another
lg Of fiery new whisky that was alien
} a revenue stamp. They drank
eavily and returned 70 the walnut
ee court without mentioning the
lal.
The foreman was Torrey, and a '
bad one. His swarthy q
ce, with Its high Cherokee cheek Q
mes and its thin-lipped mouth. was I
tra-cruel, ultra-vicious. He entered e
e circle OF red and fickering freight I
owly, smiling evilly, and the other I
even crowded up close behind him. L