"I want to
tell you something: The Vigilance Committee forms this afternoon."
The other's eyes flashed. "What is that to me?" he asked, with some
asperity.
"Only this," retorted Windham. "The committee means business; it's going
to clean up the town--" Broderick made as if to speak but checked his
utterance. Benito went on: "I tell you, Dave, you had better cut loose
from your crowd. Some of them are going to get into trouble. You can't
afford to have them running to you--calling you their master."
He took from his pocket a folded paper. "We've been drafting a
constitution, Hall McAllister and I." He read the rather stereotyped
beginning. Broderick displayed small interest until Benito reached the
conclusion:
WE ARE DETERMINED THAT NO THIEF, BURGLAR, INCENDIARY OR
ASSASSIN SHALL ESCAPE PUNISHMENT EITHER BY THE QUIBBLES OF
THE LAW, THE INSECURITY OF PRISONS, THE CARELESSNESS AND
CORRUPTION OF POLICE OR A LAXITY OF THOSE WHO PRETEND TO
ADMINISTER JUSTICE.
"And do you mean," asked Broderick, "that these men will take the law
into their own hands; that they'll apprehend so-called criminals and
presume to mete out punishment according to their own ideas of justice?"
"I mean just that," returned Benito.
Pages:
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210