"It might go off.

Here, give it to me.
Now, what's wrong?
Who's this roped gent, an' what's he done ?" The gaunt fellow, who appeared now about to collapse, lifted a shaking hand and pointed.
"Thet thar feller--he's Buck Duane!" he panted.
An angry murmur ran through the surrounding crowd.
"The rope! The rope! Throw it over a branch! String him up!" cried an excited villager.
"Buck Duane! Buck Duane!" "Hang him!" The cowboy silenced these cries.
"Abe, how do you know this fellow is Buck Duane ?" he asked, sharply.
"Why--he said so," replied the man called Abe.
"What!" came the exclamation, incredulously.
"It's a tarnal fact," panted Abe, waving his hands importantly.

He was an old man and appeared to be carried away with the significance of his deed.

"He like to rid' his hoss right over us-all.

Then he jumped off, says he was Buck Duane, an' he wanted to see Jeff Aiken bad." This speech caused a second commotion as noisy though not so enduring as the first.