Wilson, standing in the crowd near the door. "That's the truth of the
whole matter," he said, speaking directly to Bill. "I didn't try to
make trouble; but I couldn't stand by and see a man murdered, no more
than any decent man could." He paused; and still looking toward Bill,
added: "I didn't even notice particularly who the men were, until I
went up to the boy. It all happened so sudden that I--"

The Captain cleared his throat. "You admit, then, that you killed
Rawhide Jack and Texas Bill this morning?"

"I surely do," retorted Jack. "And if you want to know, I'm kinda
proud of it; it was a long shot--to clean the town of two such
blackguards. And right here I want to apologize to the town for making
a bungle of killing Swift!"

"We have two witnesses who also swear that you killed Tex' and
Rawhide, though they give a very different version of the trouble with
the boy. Would you ask us to believe that Texas Bill lied with his
last breath?"

"If he told the story you say he did, he certainly lied most sinfully
with his last breath; but I'd hate to take your word for anything, so
I don't know whether he lied or not."

"Mr. Swift, here, tells the same story that Texas Bill told." The
Captain chose to ignore the insults. "I think their testimony should
carry more weight with the Committee than yours, or the boy's. You are
trying to save your neck; and the boy probably feels that he owes you
some gratitude for taking his part. But the Committee's business is to
weed out the dangerous element which is altogether too large in this