Right behind him was a tall, spare feller, with black eyes and straight iron-gray hair.
"I vote," says Billy Harden, beginning of his speech, "I vote for death.
The reason upon which I base--" But Doctor Kirby riz up and interrupted him.
"You are going to kill me," he said.

He was pale but he was quiet, and he spoke as calm and steady as he ever done in his life.

"You are going to kill me like the crowd of sneaking cowards that you are.

And you ARE such cowards that you've talked two hours about it, instead of doing it.
And I'll tell you why you've talked so much: because no ONE of you alone would dare to do it, and every man of you in the end wants to go away thinking that the other fellow had the biggest share in it.

And no ONE of you will fire the gun or pull the rope--you'll do it ALL TOGETHER, in a crowd, because each one will want to tell himself he only touched the rope, or that HIS GUN missed.
"I know you, by God!" he shouted, flushing up into a passion--and it brought blood into their faces, too--"I know you right down to your roots, better than you know yourselves." He was losing hold of himself, and roaring like a bull and flinging out taunts that made 'em squirm.