CHAPTER XXI
THE CAW CAW SWAMP
THAT night after Virginia had retired, Giles brought up the incident of the homeward drive.
"I wonder if they caught that poor beggar. My word, they were harrying him! Who would ever believe that such things could happen in a great enlightened country like the States? Not that it's so very civilized, though—" he concluded, with a naïvete which made the other two men smile.
"You may be assured they caught somebody," said Manning. "They don't often come back empty handed from those expeditions. If they find out afterwards that they have lynched the wrong man they are usually sportsmanlike enough to admit that the joke is on them!"
"No!—really?" cried Giles. "It isn't as bad as that! Do they often get the wrong man?"
"It has been known to occur," answered Manning, dryly. His voice altered, became hard. "Such ideas of justice are the only remedy this country has, Giles." He turned sharply to Leyden. "Is it not so, Dr. Leyden?"
"Lynchings and the like are consistent and no doubt very satisfactory forms of revenge," said Leyden. "But I fail to see where the remedy comes in."
"Why do you say that?" asked Manning sharply.
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