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〃It's the Venus。〃
〃Ay…ay； sir。〃
〃Youyou know me。〃
〃Ay…ay； sir。〃
〃Very well； then。 Take the lantern。 Carry it just under your chin。
I'll walk behind you and rest this gun…barrel on your shoulder； p'inting
forwardso。 Keep your lantern well up so's I can see things ahead of
you good。 I'm going to march in on Noakesand take himand jug the
other chaps。 If you flinchwell； you know me。〃
〃Ay…ay； sir。〃
In this order they filed aboard softly； arrived at Noakes's den； the
quartermaster pushed the door open； and the lantern revealed the three
desperadoes sitting on the floor。 Capt。 Ned said：
〃I'm Ned Blakely。 I've got you under fire。 Don't you move without
ordersany of you。 You two kneel down in the corner； faces to the wall
now。 Bill Noakes； put these handcuffs on； now come up close。
Quartermaster； fasten 'em。 All right。 Don't stir； sir。 Quartermaster；
put the key in the outside of the door。 Now； men； I'm going to lock you
two in； and if you try to burst through this doorwell； you've heard of
me。 Bill Noakes； fall in ahead； and march。 All set。 Quartermaster；
lock the door。〃
Noakes spent the night on board Blakely's ship； a prisoner under strict
guard。 Early in the morning Capt。 Ned called in all the sea…captains in
the harbor and invited them； with nautical ceremony； to be present on
board his ship at nine o'clock to witness the hanging of Noakes at the
yard…arm！
〃What！ The man has not been tried。〃
〃Of course he hasn't。 But didn't he kill the nigger？〃
〃Certainly he did； but you are not thinking of hanging him without a
trial？〃
〃Trial！ What do I want to try him for； if he killed the nigger？〃
〃Oh； Capt。 Ned； this will never do。 Think how it will sound。〃
〃Sound be hanged！ Didn't he kill the nigger？〃
〃Certainly； certainly； Capt。 Ned；nobody denies that；but〃
〃Then I'm going to hang him； that's all。 Everybody I've talked to talks
just the same way you do。 Everybody says he killed the nigger； everybody
knows he killed the nigger； and yet every lubber of you wants him tried
for it。 I don't understand such bloody foolishness as that。 Tried！
Mind you； I don't object to trying him； if it's got to be done to give
satisfaction； and I'll be there； and chip in and help； too； but put it
off till afternoonput it off till afternoon； for I'll have my hands
middling full till after the burying〃
〃Why； what do you mean？ Are you going to hang him any howand try him
afterward？〃
〃Didn't I say I was going to hang him？ I never saw such people as you。
What's the difference？ You ask a favor； and then you ain't satisfied
when you get it。 Before or after's all oneyou know how the trial will
go。 He killed the nigger。 SayI must be going。 If your mate would
like to come to the hanging； fetch him along。 I like him。〃
There was a stir in the camp。 The captains came in a body and pleaded
with Capt。 Ned not to do this rash thing。 They promised that they would
create a court composed of captains of the best character； they would
empanel a jury； they would conduct everything in a way becoming the
serious nature of the business in hand； and give the case an impartial
hearing and the accused a fair trial。 And they said it would be murder；
and punishable by the American courts if he persisted and hung the
accused on his ship。 They pleaded hard。 Capt。 Ned said：
〃Gentlemen； I'm not stubborn and I'm not unreasonable。 I'm always
willing to do just as near right as I can。 How long will it take？〃
〃Probably only a little while。〃
〃And can I take him up the shore and hang him as soon as you are done？〃
〃If he is proven guilty he shall be hanged without unnecessary delay。〃
〃If he's proven guilty。 Great Neptune； ain't he guilty？ This beats my
time。 Why you all know he's guilty。〃
But at last they satisfied him that they were projecting nothing
underhanded。 Then he said：
〃Well； all right。 You go on and try him and I'll go down and overhaul
his conscience and prepare him to golike enough he needs it； and I
don't want to send him off without a show for hereafter。〃
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