Short Plays

epub:type="z3998:persona">Blanco You do me good. Feemy. Stay by me to the end, won’t you? Hold my hand to the last; and I’ll die game. He puts out his hand: she strikes savagely at it; but he withdraws it in time and laughs at her discomfiture. Feemy You⁠— Elder Daniels Never mind him, Feemy: he’s not right in his head today. She receives the assurance with contemptuous credulity, and sits down on the step of the Sheriff’s dais. Sheriff Kemp comes in: a stout man, with large flat ears, and a neck thicker than his head. Elder Daniels Morning, Sheriff. The Sheriff Morning, Elder. Passing on. Morning, Strapper. Passing on. Morning, Miss Evans. Stopping between Strapper and Blanco. Is this the prisoner? Blanco Rising. That’s so. Morning, Sheriff. The Sheriff Morning. You know, I suppose, that if you’ve stole a horse and the jury find against you, you won’t have any time to settle your affairs. Consequently, if you feel guilty, you’d better settle em now. Blanco Affairs be damned! I’ve got none. The Sheriff Well, are you in a proper state of mind? Has the Elder talked to you? Blanco He has. And I say it’s against the law. It’s torture: that’s what it is. Elder Daniels He’s not accountable. He’s out of his mind, Sheriff. He’s not fit to go into the presence of his Maker. The Sheriff You are a merciful man, Elder; but you won’t take the boys with you there. To Blanco. If it comes to hanging you, you’d better for your own sake be hanged in a proper state of mind than in an improper one. But it won’t make any difference to us: make no mistake about that. Blanco Lord keep me wicked till I die! Now I’ve said my little prayer. I’m ready. Not that I’m guilty, mind you; but this is a rotten town, dead certain to do the wrong thing. The Sheriff You won’t be asked to live long in it, I guess. To Strapper. Got the witness all right, Strapper? Strapper Yes, got everything. Blanco Except the horse. The Sheriff What’s that? Ain’t you got the horse? Strapper No. He traded it before we overtook him, I guess. But Feemy saw him on it. Feemy She did. Strapper Shall I call in the boys? Blanco Just a moment, Sheriff. A good appearance is everything in a low-class place like this. He takes out a pocket comb and mirror, and retires towards the dais to arrange his hair. Elder Daniels Oh, think of your immortal soul, man, not of your foolish face. Blanco I can’t change my soul, Elder: it changes me⁠—sometimes. Feemy: I’m too pale. Let me rub my cheek against yours, darling. Feemy You lie: my color’s my own, such as it is. And a pretty color you’ll be when you’re hung white and shot red. Blanco Ain’t she spiteful, Sheriff? The Sheriff Time’s wasted on you. To Strapper. Go and see if the boys are ready. Some of them were short of cartridges, and went down to the store to buy them. They may as well have their fun; and it’ll be shorter for him. Strapper Young Jack has brought a boxful up. They’re all ready. The Sheriff Going to the dais and addressing Blanco. Your place is at the bar there. Take it. Blanco bows ironically and goes to the bar. Miss Evans: you’d best sit at the table. She does so, at the corner nearest the bar. The Elder takes the opposite corner. The Sheriff takes his chair. All ready, Strapper. Strapper At the door. All in to begin. The crowd comes in and fills the court. Babsy, Jessie, and Emma come to the Sheriff’s right; Hannah and Lottie to his left. The Sheriff Silence there. The jury will take their places as usual. They do so. Blanco I challenge this jury, Sheriff. The Foreman Do you, by Gosh? The Sheriff On what ground? Blanco On the general ground that it’s a rotten jury. Laughter. The Sheriff That’s not a lawful ground of challenge. The Foreman It’s a lawful ground for me to shoot yonder skunk at sight, first time I meet him, if he survives this trial. Blanco I challenge the Foreman because he’s prejudiced. The Foreman I say you lie. We mean to hang you, Blanco Posnet; but you will be hanged fair. The Jury Hear, hear! Strapper To the Sheriff. George: this is rot. How can you get an unprejudiced jury if the prisoner starts by telling them they’re all rotten? If there’s any prejudice against him he has himself to thank for it. The Boys That’s so. Of course he has. Insulting the court! Challenge be jiggered! Gag him. Nestor A juryman with a long white beard, drunk, the oldest man present. Besides, Sheriff, I go so far as to say that the man that is not prejudiced against a horse-thief is not fit to sit on a jury in this town. The Boys Right. Bully for you, Nestor! That’s the straight truth. Of course he ain’t. Hear, hear! The Sheriff That is no doubt true, old man. Still, you must get as unprejudiced as you can. The critter has a right to his chance, such as he is. So now go right ahead. If the prisoner don’t like this jury, he should have stole a horse in another town; for this is all the jury he’ll get here. The Foreman That’s so, Blanco Posnet. The Sheriff To Blanco. Don’t you be uneasy. You will get justice here. It may be rough justice; but it is justice. Blanco What is justice? The Sheriff Hanging horse-thieves is justice; so now you know. Now then: we’ve wasted enough time. Hustle with your witness there, will you? Blanco Indignantly bringing down his fist on the bar. Swear the jury. A rotten Sheriff you are not to know that the jury’s got to be sworn. The Foreman Galled. Be swore for you! Not likely. What do you say, old son? Nestor Deliberately and solemnly. I say: Guilty!!! The