CHAPTER XXIX
THE ARM OF THE LAW
The lights in Dry Bottom's saloons were flickering brightly when Hollisrode down the street and dismounted from his drooping pony in front ofthe court house. He ran stiffly around the side of the building andknocked loudly on a door. There was a short silence and then a movementinside and Ben Allen stuck his head out of a window. He saw at a glancethe upward turned face of the nocturnal visitor and called shortly:"Wait! I'll be down!"
There was a short wait, during which Hollis impatiently paced back andforth and then Allen appeared in the door, fully dressed. Judge Graney,in a night shirt, stood behind him.
"Something's up, of course," drawled Allen as he stepped down from thedoor, "or you wouldn't come around disturbing folks this way. What isit?"
Hollis briefly related the events of the night, concluding with thestatement that he was determined to force the law to act.
"Correct!" laughed Allen. "She's got to act now." He caught Hollis's armand turned him toward a small cottonwood grove about half a miledistant. A dozen white objects dotting the grove caught Hollis's gaze.He started.
"Soldiers!" he exclaimed.
"I might say that was a good guess," drawled Allen. "I sent for thembecause I thought I might need them if our friend Dunlavey got tocuttin' up any. It's been my experience that a detail of Uncle Sam'sboys is about as good a thing to have around in case of trouble as anyman could want."
"But you can't use them in this case," remarked Judge Graney, who hadstepped down beside the two men. "The governor's instructions were thatthey should be used merely as an instrument in enforcing the court'sorder regarding the sale of Dunlavey's cattle. The theft of the CircleBar cattle is a matter which comes directly under the jurisdiction ofthe sheriff. If he refuses to act----"
"Hell!" broke in Allen. "We know he won't do anything!"
The Judge smiled slightly. "I suspect he won't," he said dryly. Hewinked at Hollis.
"Being a judge in this district I am, of course, averse to advising anyinfractions of the law. But if I were not a judge I would suggest thattwo strong, energetic men--such as you appear to be----" He leanedforward and whispered in Allen's ear, whereat that gentleman let out ajoyous whoop and almost dragged Hollis around the corner of the buildingtoward the street, leaving the Judge standing in the doorway.
Once on the street Allen set a pace that brought the two to the door ofthe sheriff's office quickly. A light shone through the window and whenAllen opened the door Watkins was sitting beside his desk, gravelyfumbling a deck of cards. He dropped them when he saw his visitors andmade a quick movement with his right hand toward his revolver. ButAllen's weapon was already out.
"Bill," he said in a soft, even voice, "we're wantin' a warrant for thearrest of Bill Dunlavey. The charge is stealin' cattle. Of course you'llissue it," he added insinuatingly.
Watkins's face slowly paled. "Why----" he began.
"Of course I knowed you wouldn't do it when I asked you," said Allenwith a dangerously soft smile. "That's why I come down here. This town'sgot a sheriff an' it ain't. I wouldn't care a damn if it didn't haveyou. There's lots of folks wouldn't care either. So that if you're oneof them which does care you're settin' right still an' not sayin'anything which can be construed as talk till my friend here goes down tothe station." He whispered to Hollis. "Be middlin' rapid," he said aloudafterward, "an' use my name." He turned to Watkins with a smile. "Whilewe're waitin' I'll do some talkin'," he said. "But if you let out onelittle wee chirp them folks which don't care about you bein' sheriff ofthis man's town will sure have a heap of cause to rejoice."
Hollis was already far down the street toward the station. When he gotthere the station was dark--evidently the agent had gone to bed. Hollispounded heavily on the door and presently the agent opened it, appearingin his night shirt, a heavy six-shooter in hand, his eyes blinking.
"My name is Hollis," said the latter from the darkness; "I want you totelegraph the governor."
"Come in." The agent disappeared within, Hollis following. "This way,"he directed, as he disappeared through another door leading into thestation, his night shirt flapping about his lean legs. "What you wantin'to telegraph?" he questioned, as he seated himself before the instrumentand looked up at Hollis. And then, before the latter could answer hecontinued: "You're the durndest man to stir up a muss I ever, seen in mylife!"
Hollis smiled grimly as he seized a blank and wrote his message to thegovernor:
"Cattle thieves caught red-handed. Sheriff refuses to act. Crisis. Suggest you appoint me temporarily.
BEN ALLEN"
The agent took the message, read it, and then monotonously began to drumon the keys of his instrument.
Hollis found it impossible to sit still and so he nervously paced up anddown the room during the sending of the message. The agent finished and,leaned his head sleepily on the table.
"Ought to answer in half an hour--if he's home," he informed Hollis.Upon which Hollis slipped out of the door and returned down the streetto the sheriff's office, peering within Watkins still sat at the tableand in a chair near him lounged Allen, talking volubly. Hollis watchedfor a time and then returned to the station to find the agent asleepbeside his instrument. Hollis had scarcely awakened him when the sounderbegan its monotonous ticking. He leaned over the agent's shoulder andread the governor's answer as the agent sleepily wrote it down.
"Ben Allen: You are hereby appointed sheriff of Union County in place of W. Watkins, dismissed. Have Judge certify,"
"I reckon there must be somethin' goin' on," remarked the agent. "What'sthe matter with Bill----"
But Hollis had snatched the message from his hand and was out into thestreet in an instant and running down toward the sheriff's office. Whenhe arrived there Allen was still talking. He passed the telegram to himand the latter rose to his feet and smiled at Watkins, shoving themessage under his nose.
"You can read her," he said. "Then you can go home an' quitsheriffin'--after I've got through with you. You've been called down tothe court house. I'm takin' you, chargin' you with bein' an accessorybefore the fact, or somethin' like that. It don't make no differencewhat it is, you're goin' with me." His voice came sharp and chill:"Jump!"
Judge Graney had dressed himself by the time the three arrived at thecourt house and Watkins was roughly tumbled into the room which had beenset aside as the jail. Then the judge led Hollis and Allen into thecourt room where he issued Allen's certificate of appointment.
"Now, I reckon we won't have no trouble in gettin' the soldiers," hegrinned. "This sheriff is goin' to act!"