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This was another obstacle。 They finally convinced him that it was
necessary to have the accused in court。 Then they said they would send a
guard to bring him。
〃No； sir； I prefer to fetch him myselfhe don't get out of my hands。
Besides； I've got to go to the ship to get a rope； anyway。〃
The court assembled with due ceremony； empaneled a jury； and presently
Capt。 Ned entered； leading the prisoner with one hand and carrying a
Bible and a rope in the other。 He seated himself by the side of his
captive and told the court to 〃up anchor and make sail。〃 Then he turned
a searching eye on the jury； and detected Noakes's friends； the two
bullies。
He strode over and said to them confidentially：
〃You're here to interfere； you see。 Now you vote right； do you hear？or
else there'll be a double…barreled inquest here when this trial's off；
and your remainders will go home in a couple of baskets。〃
The caution was not without fruit。 The jury was a unitthe verdict。
〃Guilty。〃
Capt。 Ned sprung to his feet and said：
〃Come alongyou're my meat now； my lad； anyway。 Gentlemen you've done
yourselves proud。 I invite you all to come and see that I do it all
straight。 Follow me to the canyon； a mile above here。〃
The court informed him that a sheriff had been appointed to do the
hanging； and
Capt。 Ned's patience was at an end。 His wrath was boundless。 The
subject of a sheriff was judiciously dropped。
When the crowd arrived at the canyon； Capt。 Ned climbed a tree and
arranged the halter； then came down and noosed his man。 He opened his
Bible； and laid aside his hat。 Selecting a chapter at random； he read it
through； in a deep bass voice and with sincere solemnity。 Then he said：
〃Lad； you are about to go aloft and give an account of yourself； and the
lighter a man's manifest is； as far as sin's concerned； the better for
him。 Make a clean breast； man； and carry a log with you that'll bear
inspection。 You killed the nigger？〃
No reply。 A long pause。
The captain read another chapter； pausing； from time to time； to impress
the effect。 Then he talked an earnest； persuasive sermon to him； and
ended by repeating the question：
〃Did you kill the nigger？〃
No replyother than a malignant scowl。 The captain now read the first
and second chapters of Genesis； with deep feelingpaused a moment；
closed the book reverently； and said with a perceptible savor of
satisfaction：
〃There。 Four chapters。 There's few that would have took the pains with
you that I have。〃
Then he swung up the condemned； and made the rope fast； stood by and
timed him half an hour with his watch； and then delivered the body to the
court。 A little after； as he stood contemplating the motionless figure；
a doubt came into his face； evidently he felt a twinge of consciencea
misgivingand he said with a sigh：
〃Well； p'raps I ought to burnt him； maybe。 But I was trying to do for
the best。〃
When the history of this affair reached California （it was in the 〃early
days〃） it made a deal of talk； but did not diminish the captain's
popularity in any degree。 It increased it； indeed。 California had a
population then that 〃inflicted〃 justice after a fashion that was
simplicity and primitiveness itself； and could therefore admire
appreciatively when the same fashion was followed elsewhere。
CHAPTER LI。
Vice flourished luxuriantly during the hey…day of our 〃flush times。〃 The
saloons were overburdened with custom； so were the police courts； the
gambling dens； the brothels and the jailsunfailing signs of high
prosperity in a mining regionin any region for that matter。 Is it not
so？ A crowded police court docket is the surest of all signs that trade
is brisk and money plenty。 Still； there is one other sign； it comes
last； but when it does come it establishes beyond cavil that the 〃flush
times〃 are at the flood。 This is the birth of the 〃literary〃 paper。
The Weekly Occidental； 〃devoted to literature；〃 made its appearance in
Virginia。 All the literary people were engaged to write for it。 Mr。 F。
was to edit it。 He was a felicitous skirmisher with a pen； and a man who
could say happy things in a crisp； neat way。 Once； while editor of the
Union； he had disposed of a labored； incoherent； two…column attack made
upon him by a contemporary； with a single line； which； at first glance；
seemed to contain a solemn and tremendous complimentviz。： 〃THE LOGIC OF
OUR ADVERSARY RESEMBLES THE PEACE OF GOD；〃and left it to the reader's
memory and after…thought to invest the remark with another and 〃more
different〃 meaning by supplying for himself and at his own leisure the
rest of the Scripture〃 in that it passeth understanding。〃 He once said
of a little； half…starved； wayside community that had no subsistence
except what they could get by preying upon chance passengers who stopped
over with them a day when traveling by the overland stage； that in their
Church service they had altered the Lord's Prayer to read： 〃Give us this
day our daily stranger！〃
We expected great things of the Occidental。 Of course it could not get
along without an original novel； and so we made arrangements to hurl into
the work the full strength of the company。 Mrs。 F。 was an able romancist
of the ineffable schoolI know no other name to apply to a school whose
heroes are all dainty and all perfect。 She wrote the opening chapter；
and introduced a lovely blonde simpleton who talked nothing but pearls
and poetry and who was virtuous to the verge of eccentricity。 She also
introduced a young French Duke of aggravated refinement； in love with the
blonde。 Mr。 F。 followed next week； with a brilliant lawyer who set about
getting the Duke's estates into trouble； and a sparkling young lady of
high society who fell to fascinating the Duke and impairing the appetite
of the blonde。 Mr。 D。； a dark and bloody editor of one of the dailies；
followed Mr。 F。； the third week； introducing a mysterious Roscicrucian
who transmuted metals； held consultations with the devil in a cave at
dead of night； and cast the horoscope of the several heroes and heroines
in such a way as to provide plenty of trouble for their future careers
and breed a solemn and awful public interest in the novel。 He also
introduced a cloaked and masked melodramatic miscreant； put him on a
salary and set him on the midnight track of the Duke with a poisoned
dagger。 He also created an Irish coachman with a rich brogue and placed
him in the service of the society…young…lady with an ulterior mission to
carry billet…doux to the Duke。
About this time there arrived in Virginia a dissolute stranger with a
literary turn of mindrather seedy he was； but very quiet and
unassuming； almost diffident； indeed。 He was so gentle； and his manners
were so pleasing and kindly； whether he was sober or intoxicated； that he
made friends of all who came in contact with him。 He applied for
literary work； offered conclusive evidence that he wielded an easy and
practiced pen； and so Mr。 F。 engaged him at once to help write the novel。
His chapter was to follow Mr。 D。's； and mine was to come next。 Now what
does this fellow do but go off and get drunk and then proceed to his
quarters and set to work with his imagination in a state of chaos； and
that chaos in a condition of extravagant activity。 The result may be
guessed。 He scanned the chapters of his predecessors； found plenty of
heroes and heroines already created； and was satisfied with them； he
decided to introduce no more； with all the confidence that whisky
inspires and all the easy complacency it gives to its servant； he then
launched himself lovingly into his work： he married the coachman to the
society…young…lady for the sake of the scandal； married the Duke to the
blonde's stepmother； for the sake of the sensation； stopped the
desperado's salary； created a misunderstanding between the devil and the
Roscicrucian； threw the Duke's property into the wicked lawyer's hands；
made the lawyer's upbraiding conscience drive him to drink； thence to
delirium tremens； thence to suicide； broke the coachman's neck； let his
widow succumb to contumely； neglect； poverty and consumption； caused the
blon