Sully's eyes went to Hank.  "Maybe you'd best go on from here," he said.

     Hank met his gaze.  "All right," he agreed quietly.  "But 'fore I do, there's somethin' I gotta say."  Sully could see shame in Hank's eyes—yes, and even regret.  But mingled with those emotions was a flicker of hurt and resentment, as if Hank felt he were being condemned unfairly.

     "What we did—what I did--was wrong.  I admit that," he said plainly.  "Bancroft was crazy—we never shoulda listened to him.  Lookin' back now, it's hard to even remember how I felt then—what I was thinkin'.  In my mind, I can see us doin' those things.  But I can't recall how it was that Bancroft was able to control us like he did—how he got us to just follow along, no questions asked."

     "Hate breeds hate," Sully said quietly.  "It's like a fire, feedin' on itself, growin' bigger and bigger till finally, it's out of control.  Bancroft lit the coals, but it was people like you, and Jake, and even Loren—who added the kindlin' and made it burn.  What happened to Robert E. was a fire that went out of control, and you all let it happen."

     "I ain't denyin' how I felt—how I still feel, kinda—about blacks, and Injuns," Hank conceded.  "Even so, though I can't speak for Jake or Loren, I know that I made a mistake.  I'm sorry for my part in it.  But I think I've changed some, over time.  And I don't think it's fair for you to judge me now for somethin' I did then."

     "Maybe that's true," Sully allowed.  "I admit, I can't see you bein' part of somethin' like that a second time.  But the one thing you can't escape, Hank, is that the *mistake* you made almost cost Robert E. his life."

     "But it didn't," Hank said flatly.

     "Thanks to Michaela," Sully shot back.

     "Be that as it may, Robert E.'s alive, " Hank stated.  "Can you say the same about the people *you* hurt?" he added challengingly.

     Sully looked at him warily.  "What do you mean?" he said.

     "I ain't perfect—far from it," Hank replied.  "But you ain't perfect neither.  You sit there, settin' yourself up as my judge and jury, like you was some kinda saint.  But what about some of the things *you* done, Sully?  Seems like you've made a few of your own 'mistakes' lately, and this whole town's been payin' for 'em.  And there's some army soldiers—O'Conner for one—and even some Injuns that are dead now, that might not have been if you'd never gone out to that reservation.  Maybe we should ask their kin about blame—and *mistakes.*

     "I once asked Michaela what it was like to 'walk on water,'" he added sardonically.  "Maybe I should ask you the same."

     Hank stared at Sully coldly.  Sully looked down at the desk, a dull flush staining his cheeks.  It disturbed him to realize that Hank was right.  He *had* been acting as judge and jury, self-righteously proclaiming Hank's faults while remaining blind to his own.  "He who is without sin cast the first stone," echoed the familiar Bible verse in his mind.  In one sense Sully felt he had the right to blame Hank—Robert E.'s suffering was justification for that.  But at least Robert E. was alive and well.  Some of the victims of his own actions hadn't been so lucky.  He hadn't intended to hurt anyone.  But people had been hurt, all the same.  In Sully's opinion, Hank had done the wrong thing, for the wrong reasons—whereas he himself had done the wrong thing for the right reasons—or so he tried to believe.   But what did the reasons matter when the end result was still the same?  Did a nobility of purpose make his sins any easier to defend than Hank's?   People had died.  Yes, he had meant well, but what difference would that make to the grieving wives, or mothers—or children—he had left in his wake?

     Sully slowly raised his eyes to meet Hank's.  "You're right," he said simply.  "I've done my share of hurtin' people—more than my share.  I'm sorrier than I can say, but bein' sorry don't change things.  And I was forgettin' how we came to be talkin' about all this in the first place—because you went after the man who was responsible for hurtin' my wife, and you're tryin' to bring him and his coward of a boss to justice."  He paused.  "I owe you for that—and I owe you an apology for judgin' you, when I got my own sins to answer for.

     "But just for the record, Hank, I didn't kill O'Conner, I didn't help the Indians kill any soldiers, and I didn't have nothin' to do with any of the raids since the uprisin'."

     "Like you're gonna claim any different in front of McKay?" Hank said sarcastically.

     "You got a point, but the sergeant and me already talked about all this," Sully said.  "You can ask him yourself what he thinks."

     Sully knew he was taking a risk.  But he believed he had the measure of McKay—at least he hoped so.  One way or the other, he thought, he was about to find out.

     Hank looked at McKay.  "Well, what about it?" he asked.  He inclined his head toward Sully.  "He tellin' the truth?"

     McKay studied the faces of both men.  After a moment he said, "I've questioned Mr. Sully about the uprising, and the weeks he was missing.  His answers were—convincing.  I would have to say that yes, I believe he's telling the truth."

     Sully looked back at Hank.  "It seems—both of us got things in our past we're ashamed of and wish we could change," he said.  "Maybe we've both been given a chance to make up a little for what we done.  At the very least, maybe this makes us even."

     Sully watched Hank, with eyes that were sober but steady.  The saloon-keeper was silent for several moments.

     "Maybe so," he said finally.

     McKay spoke again.  "Perhaps you'd better tell me the rest," he said.

     After a pause, Hank launched back into his story.  "We met again that night," he said.  "It was our final meetin', as it turned out.  Bancroft started rantin' about Robert E.  It drove him crazy that Robert E. wouldn't let himself be scared off.  He said, 'We tried—we gave the man the chance to see the light, but he refused.  He chose to go against us.  He broke the circle—and we can't allow that to happen!'

     "Loren was nervous—I could tell he was worried about the way this was goin'.  He said, 'I don't know about this, Jedidiah.'  But Bancroft said, 'If we let the colored man buy property in our town, he's goin' to want his children to go to our schools, he's goin' to want to vote in our elections, he's goin' to want to hold office in our government!'

     'Jake spoke up—he said, 'Robert E. ain't never gonna run for no office.'  But Bancroft wasn't listenin'.  He just kept yellin'.   He said, 'It wasn't enough that the war set them free!  Now they want it all!  Now, they want what's ours!  And it's up to us to stop them before it goes too far!  And in this town, it's already gone too far!' After that, we all pulled down our hoods, and took off, headin' to town."  Hank glanced toward Sully.

     "Matthew and me were in the clinic with Michaela, waitin' for her to finish so we could go home for the night," Sully continued.  "Suddenly, Grace come runnin' in , screamin' and cryin'.  She said they took him—meanin' Robert E.  Said she tried to stop them but there were too many of them.  It turned out to be a lucky thing that Matthew had been with them that first night, 'cause right away, he knew where they'd gone.

     "When Michaela, Matthew, Grace and me got to their meetin' place, we saw Robert E. sittin' on a horse under a tree, his hands tied behind his back and a noose around his neck.”

     "You were going to lynch him?!" McKay said to Hank.

       "Me and Jake and Loren didn't have no part of grabbin' Robert E. and takin' him out there," Hank answered.  "I want ta make that clear.  But as far as whether them other boys was really gonna string him up—“   His voice was uncertain.  "I just ain't sure.  Loren was scared—he said, 'They never said nothin' about a hangin'.'  Jake said he thought they were just tryin' to scare Robert E."

     "And what did you think?" McKay asked pointedly.

     Hank hesitated and then said softly, "I thought they were really gonna do it."

     Sully took up the story again.  "As soon as we got there, we ran toward the men, yellin' at them to stop and let Robert E. go," he said.  "Matthew, Grace and me tried to break through the crowd, but a bunch of them grabbed us and kept us back.  But somehow, Michaela got through before anyone stopped her.  Bancroft was pointin' a gun at her but she walked up to him like she didn't even see it and yanked the hood from his head.  She shouted, 'If you're goin' to kill a man, you can at least show your face!'  Loren pulled his hood off and said they weren't gonna do it—but Michaela said, 'You were gonna stand here, and let it happen.'

     "Bancroft yelled at the crowd.  He said, 'This man shot one of you!  This man's guilty of a crime!'  But then Michaela yelled back, 'The only thing this man is guilty of is wantin' a better life, like any of
you. '

     "Bancroft screamed at her, 'How dare you compare a darky to a white!'

    "Michaela turned to the crowd, and said, 'Black or white—Till a few days ago this man wasn't your enemy!  Jedidiah Bancroft came into this town, and told you different.  Why are you listenin' to him?'

    "Bancroft yelled, 'Because *I* am a highly respected man!  *I* am a bank president!'

    "And Michaela said, 'Then perhaps your customers back in Denver would like to know that their *highly respected president* is also a thief, and a kidnapper, and a murderer!'  Bancroft was so mad that for a moment he couldn't speak.  But Michaela kept talkin'.   She said, 'Jedidiah Bancroft don't care about you—he don't care about our town!  All he cares about are property values, and makin' a profit for his bank!  He's usin' you!  Look at yourselves, in these ridiculous costumes!  He's makin' a fool of you!

    "She went on, 'I know how some of you feel about negroes, and Indians—but I'm askin' you to look into your hearts, and decide if you really want to KILL a man—for buyin' a house?'"

    Sully stopped speaking, and for a moment there was silence.  Then Hank said, "That's when I pulled off my hood—Jake did the same.  But Bancroft just kept rantin'.  He said, 'Don't let sentiment interfere with what you know is right.  Let's do what we came here to do!'"

    "Then Michaela spoke up again," said Sully.  "She said, 'I have a better idea--why don't we all go home?'  She started to walk out of the clearin', but suddenly Bancroft turned toward Robert E. and yelled, 'Let's hang him!'  That's when I finally broke free.  I ran up to Bancroft and grabbed him—and held my tomahawk to his throat.  I said, 'I thought I'd make good on my promise.'

    "Bancroft acted like the coward he was—shakin' and quiverin' and tellin' the men to back up," Sully went on.  It was evident from his tone how deeply he despised the klansman.  "I held the blade to his throat a moment longer—then I threw it at the rope strung over the tree branch and cut Robert E. down.

    "That was the end of it," he added quietly.  "Bancroft had finally lost his power.  The men started leavin', and we took Robert E. home."

    "What happened to Bancroft?" McKay asked.

    Sully shrugged.  "He must have left town that night and gone back to Denver," he speculated.  "All I know is, I never saw him again."

    "Did you?" said McKay, looking at Hank.  Hank shook his head.

    "So Robert E. was able to move into his house without any further incident?"  McKay said to Sully.

    "Yeah,"  Sully answered.  "The next day Michaela, the kids and me were helpin' them move their things in.  I saw Jake watchin' from the barber shop, and Hank walked by once, but they didn't do or say nothin'.  Loren was the biggest surprise of all.  He'd been watchin' too, and he saw Grace by the wagon, tryin' to get down a box  that was too heavy for her.  She dropped it on the ground, and she was kneelin' there, tryin' to figure out how she was gonna pick it up.  Just then Loren came over, took her hand, and helped her to her feet.  Then he picked up the box, and carried it for her."

    "I'm glad it finally ended peaceably," McKay remarked, after a thoughtful pause.

    "That's what we thought--till now," said Sully.

    "Which reminds of a question I wanted to ask you, Mr. Lawson," said McKay.  "I  understand now about the grudge Bancroft had for Sully and Dr. Quinn. But why did he wait four years to attempt revenge? "

    The clinic door was flung open as Matthew rushed in.  "Sully!" he exclaimed.  "Andrew told us the good news about Dr. Mike—“ he broke off as he caught sight of Hank and McKay.  His eyes immediately kindled with suspicion.

    "What's goin' on?" he said.