By Lester Dent; published in Collier’s in 1948
Nels Stack left the wagon camp afoot and plodded slowly up the ridge against the sunshine that was so glittering and so surprisingly without warmth. Halfway up, Stack met Norfolk a Missouri emigrant, and he asked Norfolk, “What have they done?”
Norfolk reined in his horse. “Nels, they’re going to hang the old Indian,” he said. “They’re waiting on you.”
“Yes, they sent Tom Davis to tell me,” Stack said. “I thought maybe they had got impatient.”
He did not say more than this, but looked at Norfolk searchingly. Stack was seeking signs of shame in Norfolk. and he decided he saw some, enough to tell him that shame was the reason for Norfolk riding back to camp alone. Stack felt a warm rush of plain human approval, and he tried to think of a way of showing Norfolk that he did approve, but nothing came to mind. Norfolk would resent it anyway.
Norfolk said suddenly, “I don’t see why the hell they’re waiting on you, Nels. You’ll only talk them out of it.” Then Norfolk spurred his horse and rode on.