The spectator., 1922-03-17

fer fo' if. Right here onder this here warnut tree we're a-goin' to hold cote and have yOre trial, by jedge and jury. and you'll shore git what's a-comin'
 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 he hanged by the neck until dead; eh? Well, you'll pay dearly for it, 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, "I don't know that"
 He turned to the others.
 Set down, boys. It's the same price as standin The jury will please set over thar" pointing tc his right. "The pris'ner and his gyardS will please set right over thar pointing to his left. The hon'rable jedge, which same is me. will please set right thar" indi- eating spot at the base of the gnarled walnut. The rest" he finished, will set anywhar they d-n pleases. Set down, men
 His orders were oheyed. Dale found himself sitting on the ground between two pairs of mountainpers and facing q line of twelve mountaineers-tho so- called jury. To his left was the self appointed judge, and to his righ' loungcd 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 Il revenue stamp ar anything else that was hon es:. The jug travelled rapidly from one hairy mouth to another.
 old Ball passed the jug to mem Der of the jury" and announced:
 Well. dammit, co'te's open now"
 kitty, kitty, kitty" taunted Walt Turner. Pore little kitty"
 The mockery began. It was r!dlcu- lous, and yet il was grim. Adam Balls father himself furnished most of the evidence; also he acted as prosecuting attorney. Of course there was no counsel for the defense, and it wouldn't have helped if Dale had had proverbial Philadelphia lawyer on the grounds; all the proof and elo- quence and pleading in tie world never would have changed. in the slightest de- gree the sentence that had been cut and dried for Bill Dale. The mock trial was being held solely because the Balls and Torreys felt that hy hold ! ing it they were insulting the majesty
 of the law and making their ven geanee sweeter. IL became worse than a travesty.
 Night fell during the wordy and profane harnngue of the Rall leader l and il was ordered that a fire he built at once. At once fire was built dry | brushwood heinz used. and in it's red and fickering glare the faces of the | hillmen looked donhly dark and doubly ! wicked. Then the judge begged a | chew of tobacco and deliberately kept the whole twist and told the jury to go out and bring back verdict with out losing time.
 The twelve mountaineers rose un- | steadily and went to The creek, and | there one of them uncovered another l jug of fiery new whisky that was alien | 10 revenue stamp. They drank | heavily and returned to the walnut tree court without mentioning the | trlal.
 The foreman wns Torrey. and n | particularly bad one. His swarthy face. with its high Cherokee check | bones and It's thin-lippeu mouth, was ultra-cruei, ultra-vicious. He entered the circle of red and tlcker!ng firelight slowly, smiling eviliy, and the other eleven crowded up close behind him