“You have heard, gentlemen, and this case is tried according to law and Gospel, for as soon as we have heard your decision in the matter, and I can guess what it will be, I will pass sentence, after which I will read a chapter in the Bible and the Ten Commandments to the prisoners and end by singing the Doxology. Now, gentlemen, are these men guilty or not guilty?” “Guilty,” came with another roar like thunder. CHAPTER XIII. IN HANGMAN’S GULCH. The two prisoners fairly quaked under the angry response of “guilty” to the question of the judge, and Buffalo Bill quickly arose and signified his desire to speak. The judge rapped for silence and said: “We will hear what the great scout has to say.” “I would say, gentlemen, as a government officer, it is my wish to have full justice done these men. It is true that I caught them robbing a miner’s cabin, or attempting to do so; but, there are crimes far more heinous than that, and I beg that you will, in their case, give them as light a punishment, as possible, for I am sure they will heed the warning they have had.” The words of the scout fell upon deaf ears, when he made an appeal for mercy. He might as well have attempted to stem the current of a river as stay that mad element of humanity, for all eyes turned from him to the judge, who said: “You have heard the appeal of our distinguished friend for mercy, and we will be merciful. As these men have been unanimously pronounced guilty, our mercy will be not to long keep them in the agony of their approaching doom, and hence I do hereby sentence them to be taken within the hour to Hangman’s Gulch, and there to be hanged by the neck until all life shall leave them, for the good order of this community must and shall be preserved.” Again a roar greeted these words, and once more rapping for silence the judge said: “Officers, do your duty.” The two guards stepped forward, and over the head of each prisoner placed a noose. Then the judge opened the Bible and read, just why Buffalo Bill did not know, the story of Daniel in the den of lions. This he followed with the Ten Commandments. Three hundred voices then sang the Doxology, and the judge arose, and, locking his arm in Buffalo Bill’s, led the way to Hangman’s Gulch. The guards and their prisoners followed, the twelve men who were to draw the doomed men into mid-air, each grasping the rope of their respective victim. A slow and solemn step was kept to Hangman’s Gulch, the many lanterns casting flickering shadows, as they marched along. At last the place was reached, already dotted with the graves of many men who had thus been tried and executed. Into the dark weird place they filed, and soon approached the gallows where so many others had died.