Part 71 (2/2)
The boys were silent, and Muriel forced a laugh.
”Wal, ye won't talk about that, an' so we'll go onter somethin' else. I judge you-uns know yo're in a po'erful bad sc.r.a.pe?”
”We have good reasons to think so.”
”Begorra! we have thot!” exclaimed Barney, feeling of his neck, and making a wry face, as if troubled by an unpleasant recollection.
”It is a sc.r.a.pe that you-uns may not be able ter git out of easy,”
Muriel said. ”I war able ter save yer from bein' hung 'thout any show at all, but ye're not much better off now.”
”If you were powerful enough to save us in the first place, you should be able to get us out of the sc.r.a.pe entirely.”
”You-uns don't know all about it. Moons.h.i.+ners have laws an' regulations, an' even ther leader must stan' by them.”
Frank was still troubled by the unpleasant suspicion that Muriel was their enemy, after all that had happened. He felt that they must guard their tongues, for there was no telling what expression the fellow might distort and turn against them.
Seeing neither of the lads was going to speak, Muriel went on:
”Yes, moons.h.i.+ners have laws and regulations. Ther boys came nigh breakin' one o' ther laws by hangin' you-uns ter-night 'thout givin' ye a show.”
”Then we are to have a fair deal?” eagerly cried Frank.
”Ez fair ez anybody gits,” a.s.sured Muriel, tossing back a lock of his coal-black hair, which he wore long enough to fall to the collar of his coat. ”Ain't that all ye kin ask?”
”I don't know. That depends on what kind of a deal it is.”
”Wall, ye'll be given yore choice.”
”We demand a fair trial. If it is proven that we are revenue spies, we'll have to take our medicine. But if it is not proven, we demand immediate release.”
”Take my advice; don't demand anything o' ther Black Caps. Ther more ye demand, ther less ye git.”
”We have a right to demand a fair deal.”
”Right don't count in this case; it is might that holds ther fort.
You-uns stirred up a tiger ag'in' ye when you made Wade Miller mad. It's a slim show that ye escape ef we-uns lets yer go instanter. He'd foller yer, an' he'd finish yer somewhar.”
”We will take our chances on that. We have taken care of ourselves so far, and we think we can continue to do so. All we ask is that we be set at liberty and given our weapons.”
”An' ye'd be found with yer throats cut within ten miles o' hyar.”
”That would not be your fault.”
”Wal, 'cordin' to our rules, ye can't be released onless ther vote ur ther card sez so.”
”The vote or the cards? What do you mean by that?”
”Wal, it's like this: Ef it's put ter vote, one black bean condemns you-uns ter death, an' ev'ry man votes black ur white, as he chooses. I don't judge you-uns care ter take yer chances that way?”
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