I brought out the prisoners and stacked them up against the trees. They gave us back look for look defiantly.
“You won’t live a week after this,” said the Morton man, whose name was Carhart, addressing Johnny.
“I’ll just have a look at your head, my friend,” said Dr. Rankin.
The man bent his head, and the doctor began to remove the bloody bandages.
325“Question is,” said Johnny, “what do we do with them?”
Danny was thinking hard.
“One of two things,” said he at length: “We can string them up quietly, and leave them as a warning; or we can force matters to a showdown by calling a public meeting.”
“Question is,” said I, “whether we can get anybody with nerve enough to serve as officers of court, or, indeed, to testify as witnesses.”
“You said a true word there,” put in Carhart with an oath.
“I’ll bear witness for one,” offered Dr. Rankin, looking up from his work, “and on a good many things.”