“You all remember Hans Koch. He warned a friend that we intended cleaning out his corral on a certain night. A trap was set for us, but we escaped it, because a trusted spy discovered Koch’s treachery. You know that Koch met his reward. I killed him, because the lot fell to me. Had I refused, your laws would have condemned me, even though I was twice your leader. You wonder why I say all this? I will tell you now.
“You know that Koch’s death reduced the number of our league to twenty. There are only eighteen here now. One—Tony Marcks—is absent on duty assigned him by me. The other—Israel Hackett—is dead.”
A low murmur of surprise followed this announcement, and it was evident that few, if any of the band had known of their comrade’s fate. Jasper Morton waved his hand for silence, then resumed:
“Yes, Israel Hackett is dead—he was killed last night, while performing his duty. He was one of our best men, and now duty becomes a pleasure—we must avenge him as our laws demand.”
“He shall be avenged—the name? who killed him?” came the fierce cry from more than one pair of lips.
“Keep cool—all in good time, men. We will proceed by rule. It is only one man, and upon one of us the duty falls. We will decide by the lottery. It is the fairest way. Thompson—the pouch!”
A small, narrow buck-skin bag was handed the leader, who knelt beside the small fire that flickered faintly and feebly. At a gesture from him the outlaws—for such they undoubtedly were—gathered more closely around, bending forward and watching his every motion.
“You know the rules of this—that a bullet shall be placed in the bag for each and every person present, all but one of them being old and stained by rubbing together—the other one bright and new. Then we draw, one by one, until the bright bullet is chosen. The man who draws that is the one chosen executioner. There can be no refusal—no retreating. It is a sacred command, and the one who refuses to obey proclaims himself a traitor. Do you all understand me?”
“Yes—we are ready!”
“And you?” turning abruptly toward the man he had called Jack Colton.