A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



shaking hands with a friend. Those who knew him 

 will remember his splendid presence, his wonderful 

 snow-white hair, his square jaw and his well-modu- 

 lated voice. For a moment he stood silent, his eyes 

 roving over the entire audience. Everyone seemed 

 to be holding his breath, and then the Governor 

 began : 



"Fellow citizens of Missouri : I am your Gov- 

 ernor. I am pledged to enforce your laws. I have 

 been warned that if I touch here today the subject 

 of the James Boys and the killing of Jesse James 

 I will pay for it with my life. I am here to talk 

 to you on that subject, to tell you the whole story, 

 and my final attitude, and then drift to national and 

 state issues. Bandit-ridden Missouri, your Missouri, 

 is the scorn of America. Your laws charge me with 

 responsibility. I am the guardian of Jesse James' 

 wife and children, and I Intend to keep that trust to 

 the last ditch; but I did put a price on Jesse James' 

 head; I will put a price on the head of every bandit 

 and outlaw in Missouri, dead or alive, so long as I 

 am your Governor. I stand for law and order, and 

 I will follow relentlessly all violators until the fair 

 name of bandit-ridden Missouri Is back where you 

 can stand in any company, and say, 'My Missouri,' 

 without a blush, and if I did not have the moral 

 courage to come to you and tell you so I would not 

 be fit to be your Governor." 



Then he paused. Again an awful stillness ensued; 



[114] 



