FEEMY [reddening, and disengaging her arm from Strapper's] I'm clean enough to hang you, anyway. [Going over to him threateningly]. Youre no true American man, to insult a woman like that. BLANCO. A woman! Oh Lord! You saw me on a horse, did you? FEEMY. Yes I did. BLANCO. Got up early on purpose to do it, didn't you? FEEMY. No I didn't: I stayed up late on a spree. BLANCO. I was on a horse, was I? FEEMY. Yes you were; and if you deny it youre a liar. BLANCO [to Strapper] She saw a man on a horse when she was too drunk to tell which was the man and which was the horse-- FEEMY [breaking in] You lie. I wasn't drunk--at least not as drunk as that. BLANCO [ignoring the interruption]--and you found a man without a horse. Is a man on a horse the same as a man on foot? Yah! Take your witness away. Who's going to believe her? Shove her into the dustbin. Youve got to find that horse before you get a rope round my neck. [He turns away from her contemptuously, and sits at the table with his back to the jury box]. FEEMY [following him] I'll hang you, you dirty horse-thief; or not a man in this camp will ever get a word or a look from me again. Youre just trash: thats what you are. White trash. BLANCO. And what are you, darling? What are you? Youre a worse danger to a town like this than ten horse-thieves. FEEMY. Mr Kemp: will you stand by and hear me insulted in that low way? [To Blanco, spitefully] I'll see you swung up and I'll see you cut down: I'll see you high and I'll see you low, as dangerous as I am. [He laughs]. Oh you neednt try to brazen it out. Youll look white enough before the boys are done with you. BLANCO. You do me good. Feemy. Stay by me to the end, wont 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 to-day. [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] Thats so. Morning, Sheriff. THE SHERIFF. Morning. You know, I suppose, that if you've stole a horse and the jury find against you, you wont have any time to settle your affairs. Consequently, if you feel guilty, youd better settle em now. BLANCO. Affairs be damned! Ive 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: thats 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.