"In Waco."
"Then, why didn't you vote there?"
Without giving me time to answer, one of the armed men came up and addressed me with,
"You was afraid to vote there, was you?"
"If I was afraid to vote there, I am not afraid to vote here," I said, imitating his tone and manner as much as possible.
"How is it that you want to vote here?" asked the clerk.
"Because I am a ranger, and by law have a right to vote anywhere at a State election," I answered.
When they found I was in the frontier service, there was no further parley, and my vote was taken, and my name registered. But when I started for my horse, I was followed by the armed crowd; and as I mounted they seemed inclined to enter into a conversation. But knowing that any further parley with them would only result in a collision or a dishonorable retreat, I put spurs to my horse, and left. As I was going out of the town I heard a voice shout: "O yes! O yes! the polls of the election are now closed." The law required that they should be kept open from 6 A. M. to 6 P. M.; but these had not been kept open more than forty minutes—perhaps not that long.