"It's true. Go to Ackerton and find out what I did there. And think a
little. Neither the Whitneys nor anyone else can take the law into their
own hands and forever keep it there. Do the right thing now."
"An' what is that?"
"Take Pete into Smithville and turn him over to Bill Ellis. He'll get a
fair trial."
"_Pah!_" Yancey exploded. "Give our kin into the law's keep? 'Tis best
to shoot him ourselves!"
"Stop the talkin'." Barr was still looking at Jeff. "You say ye are a
peddler an' naught else?"
"I say so."
"Yet, you saw fit to beholden yourself to the boy? You took it upon
yourself to tell him you'd settle with whosoever shot his father?"
"I did."
"Then, be ye peddler or policeman, you shall."
"What do you mean?"
"We'll bide here through the day," Barr pronounced. "With the night we
shall go to a cabin on Trilley Ridge. You have a shotgun an'," Barr
inclined a contemptuous head toward Pete, "he has a rifle. With the
dawn, both at the same time, ye'll walk on Trilley Ridge. If you come
down the ridge, peddler, ye'll be free to come an' go amongst us. If
Pete comes down it, he has a twenty-four hours to leave the hills. I
shall sit with ye in the cabin. Grant, Dabb an' Yancey shall be at the
foot of Trilley Ridge, to shoot should one of ye flee rather than
fight."
Grant, Dabb and Yancey nodded solemn agreement. Jeff's head reeled. With
tomorrow's dawn, he was to fight a death duel with Pete Whitney. Barr
would be with them all night to make sure that things went according to
his fantastic plan. Dabb, Grant and Yancey would be waiting to kill
whoever violated the terms of the duel. If Jeff won, even though he
would be privileged to remain in the hills, he would have killed a man.
Regardless of what happened or who won, the Whitneys would have rid
themselves of an unwelcome kinsman and closed the mouth of one who might
be a policeman.
Jeff licked dry lips. He had never killed a man and knew that he could
never kill. He tried to think of some way out, of something he could do,
and there was nothing. Jeff licked his lips again.
"What say you?" Barr demanded.
"It--it's a crazy idea!"
"'Tis what ye wanted, what ye told the boy you'd git."
"I didn't tell him I'd get it this way. For heaven's sake, man, listen
to reason! The law, and not me, should take care of this."