THE WOMAN. I took it to save my child’s life. I thought it would get me to a doctor in time. It was choking with croup.
BLANCO [strangling, and trying to laugh] A little choker: thats the word for him. His choking wasn’t real: wait and see mine. [He feels his neck with a sob].
THE SHERIFF. Where’s the child?
STRAPPER. On Pug Jackson’s bench in his shed. He’s makin a coffin for it.
BLANCO [with a horrible convulsion of the throat—frantically] Dead! The little Judas kid! The child I gave my life for! [He breaks into hideous laughter].
THE SHERIFF [jarred beyond endurance by the sound] Hold you noise! will you? Shove his neckerchief into his mouth if he don’t stop. [To the woman] Dont you mind him, maam: he’s mad with drink and devilment. I suppose theres no fake about this, Strapper. Who found her?
WAGGONER JO. I did, Sheriff. Theres no fake about it. I came on her on the track round by Red Mountain. She was settin on the ground with the dead body on her lap, stupid-like. The horse was grazin on the other side of the road.
THE SHERIFF [puzzled] Well, this is blamed queer. [To the woman] What call had you to take the horse from Elder Daniels’ stable to find a doctor? Theres a doctor in the very next house.
BLANCO [mopping his dabbled red crest and trying to be ironically gay] Story simply wont wash, my angel. You got it from the man that stole the horse. He gave it to you because he was a softy and went to bits when you played off the sick kid on him. Well, I guess that clears me. I’m not that sort. Catch me putting my neck in a noose for anybody’s kid!
THE FOREMAN. Dont you go putting her up to what to say. She said she took it.