THE SHERIFF. Silence. This trial is a man's job; and if the women forget
their sex they can go out or be put out. Strapper and Miss Evans: you
cant have it two ways. You can run straight, or you can run gay, so
to speak; but you cant run both ways together. There is also a strong
feeling among the men of this town that a line should be drawn between
those that are straight wives and mothers and those that are, in the
words of the Book of Books, taking the primrose path. We don't wish to
be hard on any woman; and most of us have a personal regard for Miss
Evans for the sake of old times; but theres no getting out of the
fact that she has private reasons for wishing to oblige Strapper, and
that--if she will excuse my saying so--she is not what I might call
morally particular as to what she does to oblige him. Therefore I ask
the prisoner not to drive us to give Miss Evans the oath. I ask him to
tell us fair and square, as a man who has but a few minutes between him
and eternity, what he done with my horse.
THE BOYS. Hear, hear! Thats right. Thats fair. That does it. Now Blanco.
Own up.
BLANCO. Sheriff: you touch me home. This is a rotten world; but there is
still one thing in it that remains sacred even to the rottenest of us,
and that is a horse.
THE BOYS. Good. Well said, Blanco. Thats straight.
BLANCO. You have a right to your horse, Sheriff; and if I could put
you in the way of getting it back, I would. But if I had that horse I
shouldn't be here. As I hope to be saved, Sheriff--or rather as I hope
to be damned; for I have no taste for pious company and no talent for
playing the harp--I know no more of that horse's whereabouts than you do
yourself.
STRAPPER. Who did you trade him to?
BLANCO. I did not trade him. I got nothing for him or by him. I stand
here with a rope round my neck for the want of him. When you took me,
did I fight like a thief or run like a thief; and was there any sign of
a horse on me or near me?
STRAPPER. You were looking at a rainbow, like a damned silly fool
instead of keeping your wits about you; and we stole up on you and had
you tight before you could draw a bead on us.
THE SHERIFF. That don't sound like good sense. What would he look at a
rainbow for?
BLANCO. I'll tell you, Sheriff. I was looking at it because there was
something written on it.
SHERIFF. How do you mean written on it?
BLANCO. The words were, "Ive got the cinch on you this time, Blanco
Posnet." Yes, Sheriff, I saw those words in green on the red streak
of the rainbow; and as I saw them I felt Strapper's grab on my arm and
Squinty's on my pistol.
THE FOREMAN. He's shammin mad: thats what he is. Aint it about time to
give a verdict and have a bit of fun, Sheriff?
THE BOYS. Yes, lets have a verdict. We're wasting the whole afternoon.
Cut it short.
THE SHERIFF [making up his mind] Swear Feemy Evans, Elder. She don't
need to touch the Book. Let her say the words.
FEEMY. Worse people than me has kissed that Book. What wrong Ive done,
most of you went shares in. Ive to live, havnt I? same as the rest of
you. However, it makes no odds to me. I guess the truth is the truth and
a lie is a lie, on the Book or off it.
BABSY. Do as youre told. Who are you, to be let talk about it?
THE SHERIFF. Silence there, I tell you. Sail ahead, Elder.
ELDER DANIELS. Feemy Evans: do you swear to tell the truth and the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?