The Ranchman

  CHAPTER X--THE FRAME-UP

  James J. Carrington was unscrupulous, but even his most devout enemycould not have said that he lacked vision and thoroughness. And, whilehe had been listening to Danforth in his apartment in the Castle Hotel,he had discovered that Neil Norton had made a technical blunder inelecting Quinton Taylor mayor of Dawes. Perhaps that was why Carringtonhad not seemed to be very greatly disturbed over the knowledge thatDanforth had been defeated; certainly it was why Carrington had takenthe first train to the capital.

  Carrington was tingling with elation when he reached the capital; but onmaking inquiries he found that the governor had left the city the daybefore, and that he was not expected to return for several days.

  Carrington passed the interval renewing some acquaintances, and fumingwith impatience in the barroom, the billiard-room, and the lobby of hishotel.

  But he was the first visitor admitted to the governor's office when thelatter returned.

  The governor was a big man, flaccid and portly, and he receivedCarrington with a big Stetson set rakishly on the back of his head andan enormous black cigar in his mouth. That he was not a statesman but aprofessional politician was quite as apparent from his appearance as washis huge, welcoming smile, a certain indication that he was on terms ofintimate friendship with Carrington. Formerly an eastern politicalworker, and a power in the councils of his party, his appointment asgovernor of the Territory had come, not because of his ability to fillthe position, but as a reward for the delivery of certain votes whichhad helped to make his party successful at the polls. He would be thelast carpetbag governor of the Territory, for the Territory had at lastbeen admitted to the Union; the new Legislature was even then insession; charters were already being issued to municipalities thatdesired self-government--and the governor, soon to quit his position astemporary chief, had no real interest in the new regime, and no desireto aid in eliminating the inevitable confusion.

  "Take a seat, Jim," he invited, "and have a cigar. My secretary tells meyou've been buzzing around here like a bee lost from the hive, for thepast week." He grinned hugely at Carrington, poking the latter playfullyin the ribs as Carrington essayed to light the cigar that had been givenhim.

  "Worried about that man Taylor, in Dawes, eh?" he went on, as Carringtonsmoked. "Well, it _was_ too bad that Danforth didn't trim him, wasn'tit? But"--and his eyes narrowed--"I'm still governor, and Taylor isn'tmayor yet--and never will be!"

  Carrington smiled. "You saw the mistake, too, eh?"

  "Saw it!" boomed the governor. "I've been watching that town as a catwatches a mouse. Itching for the clean-up, Jim," he whispered. "Why,I've got the papers all made out--ousting him and appointing Danforthmayor. Right here they are." He reached into a pigeon-hole and drew outsome legal papers. "You can serve them yourself. Just hand them to JudgeLittlefield--he'll do the rest. It's likely--if Taylor starts a fuss,that you'll have to help Littlefield handle the case--arranging fordeputies, and such. If you need any more help, just wire me. I don'tpack my carpetbag for a year yet, and we can do a lot of work in thattime."

  Carrington and the governor talked for an hour or more, and whenCarrington left for the office he was grinning with pleasurableanticipation. For a municipality, already sovereign according to thelaws of the people, had been delivered into his hands.

  Just at dusk on Tuesday evening Carrington alighted from the train atDawes. He went to his rooms in the Castle, removed the stains of travel,descended the stairs to the dining-room, and ate heartily; then,stopping at the cigar-counter to light a cigar, he inquired of the clerkwhere he could find Judge Littlefield.

  "He's got a house right next to the courthouse--on your left, fromhere," the clerk told him.

  A few minutes later Carrington was seated opposite Judge Littlefield,with a table between them, in the front room of the judge's residence.

  "My name is Carrington--James J.," was Carrington's introduction ofhimself. "I have just left the governor, and he gave me these, to handover to you." He shoved over the papers the governor had given him,smiling slightly at the other.

  The judge answered the smile with a beaming smirk.

  "I've heard of you," he said; "the governor has often spoken of you." Heglanced hastily over the papers, and his smirk widened. "The good peopleof Dawes will be rather shocked over this decision, I suppose. Butlaymen _will_ confuse things--won't they? Now, if Norton and his friendshad come to _me_ before they decided to enter Taylor's name, this thingwould not have happened."

  "I'm glad it _did_ happen," laughed Carrington. "The chances are thateven Norton would have beaten Danforth, and then the governor could nothave interfered."

  Carrington's gaze became grim as he looked at the judge. "You areprepared to go the limit in this case, I suppose?" he interrogated."There is a chance that Taylor and his friends will attempt to maketrouble. But any trouble is to be handled firmly, you understand. Thereis to be no monkey business. If they accept the law's mandates, as alllaw-abiding citizens should accept it, all well and good. And if theydon't--and they want trouble, we'll give them that! Understand?"

  "Perfectly," smiled the judge. "The law is not to be assailed."

  Smilingly he bowed Carrington out.

  Carrington took a turn down the street, walking until his cigar burneditself out; then he entered the hotel and sat for a time in the lobby.Then he went to bed, satisfied that he had done a good week's work, andconscious that he had launched a heavy blow at the man for whom he hadconceived a great and bitter hatred.