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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does Tetley ask to retrieve their guns?

2. What does Sparks claim is in all men?

3. Whose voice brought them to a stop?

4. How much did Martin pay for the ranch?

5. Who does Martin claim is waiting for him on his ranch?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Donald Martin tell the posse when he is questioned about the fact that he has cattle with Drew's brand on them in his possession?

2. Why don't the men in the posse believe Martin when he explains the situation to them?

3. Who does Tetley direct to be responsible for whipping the horses out from underneath the men who are about to be hanged and why?

4. Where do the men believe that the rustlers and their cattle might have stopped for the night?

5. Why is the other evidence offered by Martin to support his claims of innocence refuted by the posse members?

6. What is unusual about the fact that Art would give Sparks his coat, and why would many men not have done so?

7. Why do the elder and younger Tetley's not see eye to eye?

8. When it is clear to Martin that the posse is not willing to help him to prove their innocence, what does Martin request?

9. What was the argument that Martin has with Davies, and why was it so important that Martin was willing to risk further wrath from his executioners?

10. What group of riders heads the posse and what do they discover at the mountain path leading to the town of Pike's Hole?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who comes to Art with a version of a confession? Why? What is so disturbing to him about the whole incident? How does he arrive at the conclusions that he does? What does he tell Art that he knew well in advance? Why did he not do anything about it? How does Art respond to the entire confession? What does he recommend? What conclusion do Art and Gil both reach? Why is that a paradox?

Essay Topic 2

Who do the men in the posse run into on their way back down the mountain? What surprises confront them? How does this affect the decisions that they've made in the last few hours? What does the sheriff do about the situation? What does he want from the group? When he secures what he needs, what does he require the remaining men to do?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Tetley decide to call a vote the following morning? Who is at the head of the group who is against hanging Martin and his men? How many men stand with him? Who doesn't step forward, but agrees with bringing the men down to face legal consequences instead? What might the outcome have been had the remaining holdouts stepped forward?

(see the answer keys)

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