Glacier County chief., 1939-11-03
CHAPTER XVI

/
They were grim shadows in the
night-seven men from Big Mecca
sin Swamp, plus Dan Creedon and
the woman who was known as Babe.
The light from the house cascaded
down the steps of the veranda and
NAKED faint, yellow path across
the emerald lawn, thinning their sim
lister figures, shining upon the dark,
ugly barrels of shot-guns and upon
the coiled rope which one man car
| ried.
Kay stood beside Barney. Her
hand was on his arm and she knew
that his muscles were taut. He did
not move. His cheeks were white,
but his eyes were level and cold, his
feet firmly planted. He held his dou-
ble-barreled shotgun as bird-hunt-
er holds it, right hand caressing the
trigger guard, left hand on the bar
rel. Ready.
Kay heard the front door open
and close. Mrs. Hamilton and Mar
garet joined them. Barney spoke,
without moving his eyes from the
tableau near the azalea bushes. He
said, "You-all get back in the
| house."
Kay's answer came quietly. I'm
staying right here"
81 can handle this"
Kay said nothing more. Neither
did Mrs. Hamilton nor Margaret.
But they remained. Inwardly terri
fed; outwardly unafraid. Thoughts
raced through Kay's mind: II did
this" "I've heard of lynching
mobs never saw one before"
II wonder why I feel so
cold :" Disconnected thoughts.
Angry thoughts. She heard Bar
ney's voice: hard and mature.
what do you want?"
A tall, gangling figure detached
itself from the shadowy group. JEFF
Butler said, hoarsely, 1--WE come TO-
you, Barney Hamilton"
Eyes 2" A suspended query.
A grim pause.
"Yeh, we come TO- you"
"Why?"
"You'n dam soon find out why"
Barney whispered, "Won't you
please get back into the house?" The
women beside him did not move.
Another voice came from the
mob, an unpleasant, nasal voice.
ave don't aim to leave no murder
I'ers go free"
jeff Butler again, You're a-goin'
to git strung up"
"For WHAT"
"Murderin' Kirk Reynolds: that's
what. An TO- lots mo- things"
A woman's voice: Babe Henkeps
voice bit into the night.
"Quit wasting time! Go get him!"
Kay thought, "It's that Henkel
woman. She must have loved Kirk
a lot"
Barney raised his voice. He spoke
directly to Babe. II suppose this
was your idea"
eyes"
"Why?"
because the law won't touch you.
Because they told me to get out of
town. Because you killed Kirk
81 didn't kill him."
Her voice cut sharply at Jeff But
Ter. well, what are you waiting
for?"
Jeff said, Better come with US.
We amt to be fooled with
Another voice, ''We got guns"
Barney said, 1--WE got gun, too.
And the first man who takes step
in this direction gets load of buck
shot,"
The mob hesitated. 1t milled about
and murmured. It had not antici-
pated armed resistance. Kay heard
someone say, He wouldn't Shoot"
and somebody else answered,
You're crazy. Any man'll shoot if
he has to-"
jeff Butler said, "Git them ladies
inside. We don't crave to hurt
Them"
Another pause. The lynchers were
uncertain. Hanging man was one
thing; firing into three women was
something entirely different. Kay
knew what they were thinking, and
she was glad. And she wasn't afraid
any more. That is. not very. Bar
ney was so quiet. so steady
Babe asked, sharply, what is
this. debating society?''
ITO BE CONTINUEDJ