Here they hang you—it’s not no friendly gas chamber. You killed Valenty, didn’t you—you and this here wife?” “You think I did, sure enough?” “Listen, we know.” “Very idea scares me.” “She got him up on that tank—we can prove it. You followed him up—we can prove it. You made him jump at gun’s point—we can prove it. And he knocked you off coming down—we can prove it. Now you own it up and we’ll do what we can with the court—get you clemency, all that stuff. You keep this up and you get it—feet first, through the trap. And she does. You might consider her.” “Boys, I hear all you say. Somebody, I’m sure is dead, and some dame is in trouble. But all I know is what I’ve told you before: I did hit Pabby Ramos. I did lam out of Ojai. I did board a truck at Ventura, and I did doze and slide off. I must have, to wake up falling. But that’s the last I remember, and that was east of Yuma. You say this is Maryland, and you’ve brought me stuff to prove it—newspapers, anyhow, whatever they’re supposed to show.
