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 clear in the head as I am right now when they started to walk him to jail."

"I guess some of the young sports were practicin' on Bud," Judge Waters said.

"Did they frame their testimony at the inquest just to have the laugh on a green stranger, or because they really want to get out from under the responsibility?"

"The gang that rushed in and picked Bud up after the danger was over isn't notable for any high courage," Judge Waters explained. "They're not a fighting crowd, take them as they run. Ed Kraus drives over to Simrall with a drummer now and then; he's around the country a good deal of the time these days locating settlers or carryin' the surveyor here and there. He couldn't afford to have his name involved in the affair, you see. Larrimore—he's a skulker, he's a wolf."

"That Fergus boy?"

"He's a petty gambler, a ten-cents ante boy. He's not worth the room he covers when he's standing still."

"Are they fair samples of this town's citizens?"

"No, not at all, sir. We've got respectable people here, two or three dozen of them that could be counted on to defend the town, I expect—at least I hope so. They've never been called to the test before, except by voting for it."

"There's no very great incentive to fight for it, that I can see," Hall said, with more frankness than diplomacy.

"We've got our homes, our investments and our prospects," Judge Waters replied. "You have a stranger's misconception of the importance of Damascus. It will dominate this corner of the state within two years. There are ten undeveloped counties tributary to us, all filling up