Page 69 of Be Free My Heart


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"You threatened her just two days ago, I heard it."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Banks denied it. Then he realized that all the men had gathered about him to stare and accuse him. The blackened face of anger stared back at him in all their faces.

He edged himself back against a wall and pulled the blanket over himself.

Ferg pulled the knife that he had used and held it in front of Banks' face. "You left your knife in her. But that's not the worst of it, is it Banks? Not by far."

"What are you talking about?" He snarled at them.

"You did something else, didn't you?" Ferg accused him, with a shake of his head. Disgust lined his face, as Banks ventured a glance at him.

"Well, what if I did. She's just a Negress, who cares about her?" He hollered, backing up as Ferg put the knife to his nose.

The others gathered around, "She was one of us." One man hollered.

"She warmed me a lot of cold nights. I say we hang him."

Ferg glanced around the room. "We ain't got no official law here, so we take a vote. All in favor of hanging him, raise your hand."

Nearly every man there raised their hand. All but Tal and his bunch.

"He done it, it's his knife and he threatened her just a few days ago. He has her blood on his boots, that's already dried, since last night. He's guilty as charged. Put a rope around the rafters and let's get it done." One man called out.

Voices got louder, all calling for Banks neck.

Banks saw a chance to run and started dashing toward the front door, but someone stopped him, shoving him against the wall. "You gonna face it like a man." Coon told him.

It was too late to stop the frenzy, some of the men were seeing blood now and justice would be served. Voices were raised in hot anger. It was a blood for blood moment. No one could have stopped the hanging. And no one wanted to.

Margaret glanced at Snow Bird. "I hate hangings." She shivered.

Snow Bird put a hand on her shoulder. "He deserves it."

"That's true enough. And I'm glad to see some of them spoke up for Rose, as she did warm a lot of beds." Margaret cracked a slight smile.

"She didn't deserve that, that's for sure." Snow Bird said sadly.

The men found a rope among someone's gear and they got on a chair and wrapped it around a rafter. They made a noose, and it swung as they stepped down.

Ferg pulled Banks over to the chair. "Get up there."

"No, I won't!" Banks cried. "What the fuss about, she's just a black woman." He cried real tears now because fear had taken over. He was sweating, and his eyes grew wide with the fear inside him. His whole body shook, he glanced at Tal to save him, but when Ferg told what else he did, every man there grew deathly silent.

"He raped her, after she was dead." Ferg sighed heavily. "Lord help us all, he deserves hanging. He ain't human."

"Wish he wasn't such a coward about it, too!" Margaret shook her head.

Snow Bird looked at Banks who was trying to balance himself in the chair and sweating so much it dripped on the floor. "You can't do this, it ain't right. She was just a damned whore."

Margaret turned her head, "I just can't watch it. He's such a coward. Tells of his manhood."

Snow Bird understood, but she did watch. It was justice, had it been in an Indian camp, he would be tortured and put to death. She'd seen many an Indian executed.

Banks was trying to balance on the chair as everyone started shouting. "Hang him. Hang him high."

"Don't do this, it's murder," Banks yelled. "I'm sorry. You hear me, I'm sorry." He cried aloud.

Coon walked quietly up to him, with a serene face he shook his head, "This ain't murder son, this is justice."

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