This other thing I dont know. People will ask me about it ever so often. I cant say as I would rule it out altogether. It aint somethin I would like to have to see again. To witness. The ones that really ought to be on death row will never make it. I believe that. You remember certain things about a thing like that. People didnt know what to wear. There was one or two come dressed in black, which I suppose was all right. Some of the men come just in their shirtsleeves and that kindly bothered me. I aint sure I could tell you why.
Still they seemed to know what to do and that surprised me. Most of em I know had never been to a execution before. When it was over they pulled this curtain around the gas-chamber with him in there settin slumped over and people just got up and filed out. Like out of church or somethin. It just seemed peculiar. Well it was peculiar. I'd have to say it was probably the most unusual day I ever spent.
Quite a few people didnt believe in it. Even them that worked on the row. You'd be surprised. Some of em I think had at one time. You see somebody ever day sometimes for years and then one day you walk that man down the hallway and put him to death. Well. That'll take some of the cackle out of just about anybody. I dont care who it is. And of course some of them boys was not very bright. Chaplain Pickett told me about one he ministered to and he ate his last meal and he'd ordered this dessert, ever what it was. And it come time to go and Pickett he asked him didnt he want his dessert and the old boy told him he was savin it for when he come back. I dont know what to say about that. Pickett didnt neither.
I never had to kill nobody and I am very glad of that fact. Some of the old time sheriffs wouldnt even carry a firearm. A lot of folks find that hard to believe but it's a fact. Jim Scarborough never carried one. That's the younger Jim. Gaston Boykins wouldnt wear one. Up in Comanche County. I always liked to hear about the old timers. Never missed a chance to do so. The old time concern that the sheriffs had for their people is been watered down some. You cant help but feel it. Nigger Hoskins over in Bastrop County knowed everbody's phone number in the whole county by heart.
It's a odd thing when you come to think about it. The opportunities for abuse are just about everwhere. There's no requirements in the Texas State Constitution for bein a sheriff. Not a one. There is no such thing as a county law. You think about a job where you have pretty much the same authority as God and there is no requirements put upon you and you are charged with preservin nonexistent laws and you tell me if that's peculiar or not. Because I say that it is. Does it work? Yes. Ninety percent of the time. It takes very little to govern good people. Very little. And bad people cant be governed at all. Or if they could I never heard of it.
The bus pulled into Fort Stockton at quarter to nine and Moss stood and got his bag down from the overhead rack and picked up the document case out of the seat and stood looking down at her.
Dont get on a airplane with that thing, she said. They'll put you under the jail.
My mama didnt raise no ignorant children.
When are you goin to call me.
I'll call you in a few days.
All right.
You take care.
I got a bad feelin, Llewelyn.
Well, I got a good one. So they ought to balance out.
I hope so.
I cant call you except from a payphone.
I know it. Call me.
I will. Quit worryin about everthing.
Llewelyn?
What.
Nothin.
What is it.
Nothin. I just wanted to say it. You take care. Llewelyn? What.
Dont hurt nobody. You hear?
He stood there with the bag slung across his shoulder. I aint makin no promises, he said. That's how you get hurt.
Bell had raised the first forkful of his supper to his mouth when the phone rang. He lowered it again. She'd started to push her chair back but he wiped his mouth with his napkin and rose. I'll get it, he said.
All right.
How the hell do they know when you're eatin? We never eat this late.
Dont be cussin, she said.
He picked up the phone. Sheriff Bell, he said.
He listened for a while. Then he said: I'm goin to finish my supper. I'll meet you there in about forty minutes. Just leave the lights on on your unit.
He hung up the phone and came back to his chair and sat and picked up the napkin and put it in his lap and picked up his fork. Somebody called in a car afire, he said. Just this side of Lozier Canyon.
What do you make of that?
He shook his head.
He ate. He drank the last of his coffee. Come go with me, he said.
Let me get my coat.
They pulled off the road at the gate and drove over the cattleguard and pulled up behind Wendell's unit. Wendell walked back and Bell rolled down the window.
It's about a half mile down, Wendell said. Just follow me.
I can see it.
Yessir. It was goin real good here about a hour ago. The people that called it in seen it from the road.
They parked a little way off and got out and stood looking at it. You could feel the heat on your face. Bell came around and opened the door and took his wife's hand. She got out and stood with her arms folded in front of her. There was a pickup truck parked a ways down and two men were standing there in the dull red glare. They nodded each in turn and said Sheriff.
We could of brought weeners, she said.
Yeah. Marshmallers.
You wouldnt think a car would burn like that.
No, you wouldnt. Did you all see anything?
No sir. Just the fire.
Didnt pass nobody or nothin?
No sir.
Does that look to you like about a '77 Ford, Wendell?
It could be.
I'd say it is.
Was that what the old boy was drivin?
Yeah. Dallas plates.
It wasnt his day, was it Sheriff.
It surely wasnt.
Why do you reckon they set fire to it?
I dont know.
Wendell turned and spat. Wasnt what the old boy had in mind when he left Dallas I dont reckon, was it?
Bell shook his head. No, he said. I'd guess it was about the farthest thing from his mind.
In the morning when he got to the office the phone was ringing. Torbert wasnt back yet. He finally called at nine-thirty and Bell sent Wendell to get him. Then he sat with his feet on the desk staring at his boots. He sat that way for some time. Then he picked up the mobile and called Wendell.
Where you at?
Just past Sanderson Canyon.
Turn around and come back.
All right. What about Torbert?
Call him and tell him to just set tight. I'll come get him this afternoon.
Yessir.
Go to the house and get the keys to the truck from Loretta and hook up the horsetrailer. Saddle my horse and Loretta's and load and I'll see you out there in about a hour.
Yessir.
He hung up the speaker and got up and went down to check on the jail.
They drove through the gate and closed it again and drove down along the fence about a hundred feet and parked. Wendell unlatched the trailer doors and led the horses out. Bell took the reins of his wife's horse. You ride Winston, he said.
You sure?
Oh I'm more than sure. Anything happens to Loretta's horse I can tell you right now you damn sure dont want to be the party that was aboard him.
He handed Wendell one of the lever action rifles he'd brought and swung up into the saddle and pulled his hat down. You ready? he said.