The prisoner hung his head; he would plead guilty to theft and attempt to kill, and defy his captors to do their worst; but when meanness and cowardice were proved against him, he seemed ashamed of himself.

“Prisoner virtually admits the charge,” said the major, looking critically at Bowney.

“Gentlemen,” said Caney, late of Texas, “what’s the use of wastin’ time this way?  Everybody knows that Bowney’s been at the bottom of all the deviltry that’s been done in the county this three year.  Highway robbery’s a hangin’ offense in Texas an’ every other well-regilated State; so’s hoss-stealin’, an’ so’s shootin’ a man in the back, an’ yit Bowney’s done ev’ry one of ’em over an’ over agin.  Ev’rybody knows what we come here fur, else what’s the reason ev’ry man’s got a nice little coil o’ rope on his saddle fur?  The longer the bizness is put off, the harder it’ll be to do.  I move we string him up instanter.”

“Second the motion!” exclaimed some one.

“I move we give him a chance to save himself,” said a quiet farmer from New England.  “When he’s in the road-agent business, he has a crowd to help him.  Now, ’twould do us more good to clean them out than him alone, so let’s give him a chance to leave the State if he’ll tell who his confederates are.  Somebody’ll have to take care of him, of course, till we can catch them, and make sure of it.”

“‘Twon’t cost the somebody much, then,” said the prisoner, firmly; “an’ I’d give a cool thousand for a shot at any low-lived coyote that ’ud ax me to do sich an ungentlemanly thing.”

“Spoke like a man,” said Caney, of Texas.  “I hope ye’ll die easy for that, Bill.”

“The original motion prevails,” said the major; “all in favor will say ay.”

A decided “ay” broke from the party.

“Whoever has the tallest horse will please lead him up and unsaddle him,” said the major, after a slight pause.  “The witnesses will take the prisoner in charge.”

A horse was brought under the limb, with the fragments of rope upon it, and the witnesses, one of them bearing a piece of rope, approached the prisoner.

The silence was terrible, and the feelings of all present were greatly relieved when Bill Bowney—­placed on the horse, and seeing the rope hauled taught and fastened to a bough by a man in the tree—­broke into a frenzy of cursing, and displayed the defiant courage peculiar to an animal at bay.

“Has the prisoner anything to say?” asked the major, as Bowney stopped for breath.

“Better own up, and save yourself and reform, and help rid the world of those other scoundrels,” pleaded the New Englander.

“Don’t yer do it, Bill—­don’t yer do it!” cried Caney, of Texas.  “Stick to yer friends, an’ die like a man!”

“That’s me!” said the prisoner, directing a special volley of curses at the New Englander.  “It’s ben said here that I wuz sneakin’ an’ cowardly; ther’s one way of givin’ that feller the lie—­hurry up an’ do it!”