“My old man come town yet?” asked Pete, beginning to eat.
“Not yet.”
“Huh! How soon they hang me?”
“Are you in any hurry, Pete?”
“Not much.”
“Well, that’s fine. They’ll have to try you first, so you’ll jist have to be patient. First they’ll give you a hearin’ and decide if yo’re worth hangin’. Then they’ll hold the trial and see when you git hung. It’ll take quite a while.”
“Nobody ask me if I kill Mallette,” said Pete, his mouth filled with food. “I like kill him pretty good, but somebody kill him. He stole my money.”
“You like to kill him, eh?”
“Sure.”
“Uh-huh. You’ll make a hell of a good witness for the State—as long as you last.”