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- Стр. 436/662
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No
one
seemed
willing
to
take
the
responsibility
of
giving
that
signal
,
which
was
to
send
a
fellow-creature
to
his
long
account
.
Criminal
as
they
might
regard
him
--
murderer
as
they
believed
him
to
be
--
all
shied
from
doing
the
sheriff
's
duty
.
Even
Calhoun
instinctively
held
back
.
It
was
not
for
the
want
of
will
.
There
was
no
lack
of
that
on
the
part
of
the
ex-officer
,
or
among
the
Regulators
.
They
showed
no
sign
of
retreating
from
the
step
they
had
taken
.
The
pause
was
simply
owing
to
the
informality
of
the
proceedings
.
It
was
but
the
lull
in
the
storm
that
precedes
the
grand
crash
.
It
was
a
moment
of
deep
solemnity
--
every
one
silent
as
the
tomb
.
They
were
in
the
presence
of
death
,
and
knew
it
,
--
death
in
its
most
hideous
shape
,
and
darkest
guise
.
Most
of
them
felt
that
they
were
abetting
it
.
All
believed
it
to
be
nigh
.
With
hushed
voice
,
and
hindered
gesture
,
they
stood
rigid
as
the
tree-trunks
around
them
.
Surely
the
crisis
had
come
?
It
had
;
but
not
that
crisis
by
everybody
expected
,
by
themselves
decreed
.
Instead
of
seeing
Maurice
Gerald
jerked
into
the
air
,
far
different
was
the
spectacle
they
were
called
upon
to
witness
,
--
one
so
ludicrous
as
for
a
time
to
interrupt
the
solemnity
of
the
scene
,
and
cause
a
suspension
of
the
harsh
proceedings
.
The
old
mare
--
that
they
knew
to
be
Zeb
Stump
's
--
appeared
to
have
gone
suddenly
mad
.
She
had
commenced
dancing
over
the
sward
,
flinging
her
heels
high
into
the
air
,
and
screaming
with
all
her
might
.
She
had
given
the
cue
to
the
hundred
horses
that
stood
tied
to
the
trees
;
and
all
of
them
had
commenced
imitating
:
her
wild
capers
,
while
loudly
responding
to
her
screams
!
Enchantment
could
scarce
have
produced
a
quicker
transformation
than
occurred
in
the
tableau
formed
in
front
of
the
jacalé
hut
.
Not
only
was
the
execution
suspended
,
but
all
other
proceedings
that
regarded
the
condemned
captive
.
Nor
was
the
change
of
a
comical
character
.
On
the
contrary
,
it
was
accompanied
by
looks
of
alarm
,
and
cries
of
consternation
!
The
Regulators
rushed
to
their
arms
--
some
towards
their
horses
.
