The main theme in this story is law and justice. This theme plays an important role in this story because the central conflict is Doane's unanswered question. He is a sheriff but doesn't know if the punishment the man is going to get is truly justice or if it is the law forcing it to preserve order and not to be fair. In our world, it is like following the law is equal to justice. "Was is justice, or just the way things were done out here? He wondered if the law was just a different kind of vengeance, wrapped in the pretence of righteousness." When he says, "Is it justice, or just the way…