Jan ran blindly, reckoning not of the way of his feet, for he was mastered by the verb “to live.”  To live!  To exist!  Buck flashed gray through the air, but missed.  The man struck madly at him, and stumbled.  Then the white teeth of Bright closed on his mackinaw jacket, and he pitched into the snow. To live! To exist!  He fought wildly as ever, the centre of a tossing heap of men and dogs.  His left hand gripped a wolf-dog by the scruff of the back, while the arm was passed around the neck of Lawson.  Every struggle of the dog helped to throttle the hapless sailor.  Jan’s right hand was buried deep in the curling tendrils of Red Bill’s shaggy head, and beneath all, Mr. Taylor lay pinned and helpless.  It was a deadlock, for the strength of his madness was prodigious; but suddenly, without apparent reason, Jan loosed his various grips and rolled over quietly on his back.  His adversaries drew away a little, dubious and disconcerted.  Jan grinned viciously.

“Mine friends,” he said, still grinning, “you haf asked me to be politeful, und now I am politeful.  Vot piziness vood you do mit me?”

“That’s right, Jan.  Be ca’m,” soothed Red Bill.  “I knowed you’d come to yer senses afore long.  Jes’ be ca’m now, an’ we’ll do the trick with neatness and despatch.”

“Vot piziness?  Vot trick?”

“The hangin’.  An’ yeh oughter thank yer lucky stars for havin’ a man what knows his business.  I’ve did it afore now, more’n once, down in the States, an’ I can do it to a T.”

“Hang who?  Me?”

“Yep.”

“Ha! ha!  Shust hear der man speak foolishness!  Gif me a hand, Bill, und I vill get up und be hung.”  He crawled stiffly to his feet and looked about him.  “Herr Gott! listen to der man!  He vood hang me!  Ho! ho! ho!  I tank not!  Yes, I tank not!”

“And I tank yes, you swab,” Lawson spoke up mockingly, at the same time cutting a sled-lashing and coiling it up with ominous care.  “Judge Lynch holds court this day.”

“Von liddle while.”  Jan stepped back from the proffered noose.  “I haf somedings to ask und to make der great proposition.  Kentucky, you know about der Shudge Lynch?”

“Yes, suh.  It is an institution of free men and of gentlemen, and it is an ole one and time-honored.  Corruption may wear the robe of magistracy, suh, but Judge Lynch can always be relied upon to give justice without court fees.  I repeat, suh, without court fees.  Law may be bought and sold, but in this enlightened land justice is free as the air we breathe, strong as the licker we drink, prompt as—­”

“Cut it short!  Find out what the beggar wants,” interrupted Lawson, spoiling the peroration.

“Vell, Kentucky, tell me dis:  von man kill von odder man, Shudge Lynch hang dot man?”

“If the evidence is strong enough—­yes, suh.”

“An’ the evidence in this here case is strong enough to hang a dozen men, Jan,” broke in Red Bill.