THE ARM OF THE LAW
The lights in Dry Bottom's saloons were flickering brightly when Hollis
rode down the street and dismounted from his drooping pony in front of
the court house. He ran stiffly around the side of the building and
knocked loudly on a door. There was a short silence and then a movement
inside and Ben Allen stuck his head out of a window. He saw at a glance
the 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 and
forth 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 the
door, "or you wouldn't come around disturbing folks this way. What is
it?"
Hollis briefly related the events of the night, concluding with the
statement that he was determined to force the law to act.
"Correct!" laughed Allen. "She's got to act now." He caught Hollis's arm
and turned him toward a small cottonwood grove about half a mile
distant. 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 them
because I thought I might need them if our friend Dunlavey got to
cuttin' up any. It's been my experience that a detail of Uncle Sam's
boys is about as good a thing to have around in case of trouble as any
man could want."
"But you can't use them in this case," remarked Judge Graney, who had
stepped down beside the two men. "The governor's instructions were that
they should be used merely as an instrument in enforcing the court's
order regarding the sale of Dunlavey's cattle. The theft of the Circle
Bar cattle is a matter which comes directly under the jurisdiction of
the 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. He
winked at Hollis.
"Being a judge in this district I am, of course, averse to advising any
infractions of the law. But if I were not a judge I would suggest that
two strong, energetic men--such as you appear to be----" He leaned
forward and whispered in Allen's ear, whereat that gentleman let out a
joyous whoop and almost dragged Hollis around the corner of the building
toward the street, leaving the Judge standing in the doorway.
Once on the street Allen set a pace that brought the two to the door of
the sheriff's office quickly. A light shone through the window and when
Allen opened the door Watkins was sitting beside his desk, gravely
fumbling a deck of cards. He dropped them when he saw his visitors and
made a quick movement with his right hand toward his revolver. But
Allen's weapon was already out.
"Bill," he said in a soft, even voice, "we're wantin' a warrant for the
arrest of Bill Dunlavey. The charge is stealin' cattle. Of course you'll
issue 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 Allen
with a dangerously soft smile. "That's why I come down here. This town's
got a sheriff an' it ain't. I wouldn't care a damn if it didn't have
you. There's lots of folks wouldn't care either. So that if you're one
of 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 to
the station." He whispered to Hollis. "Be middlin' rapid," he said aloud
afterward, "an' use my name." He turned to Watkins with a smile. "While
we're waitin' I'll do some talkin'," he said. "But if you let out one
little wee chirp them folks which don't care about you bein' sheriff of
this man's town will sure have a heap of cause to rejoice."
Hollis was already far down the street toward the station. When he got
there the station was dark--evidently the agent had gone to bed. Hollis
pounded heavily on the door and presently the agent opened it, appearing
in 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 to
telegraph the governor."
"Come in." The agent disappeared within, Hollis following. "This way,"
he directed, as he disappeared through another door leading into the
station, his night shirt flapping about his lean legs. "What you wantin'
to telegraph?" he questioned, as he seated himself before the instrument
and looked up at Hollis. And then, before the latter could answer he
continued: "You're the durndest man to stir up a muss I ever, seen in my
life!"
Hollis smiled grimly as he seized a blank and wrote his message to the
governor:
"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 drum
on the keys of his instrument.
Hollis found it impossible to sit still and so he nervously paced up and
down 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 street
to the sheriff's office, peering within Watkins still sat at the table
and in a chair near him lounged Allen, talking volubly. Hollis watched
for a time and then returned to the station to find the agent asleep
beside his instrument. Hollis had scarcely awakened him when the sounder
began its monotonous ticking. He leaned over the agent's shoulder and
read 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's
the matter with Bill----"
But Hollis had snatched the message from his hand and was out into the
street in an instant and running down toward the sheriff's office. When
he arrived there Allen was still talking. He passed the telegram to him
and the latter rose to his feet and smiled at Watkins, shoving the
message under his nose.
"You can read her," he said. "Then you can go home an' quit
sheriffin'--after I've got through with you. You've been called down to
the court house. I'm takin' you, chargin' you with bein' an accessory
before the fact, or somethin' like that. It don't make no difference
what 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 the
court house and Watkins was roughly tumbled into the room which had been
set aside as the jail. Then the judge led Hollis and Allen into the
court room where he issued Allen's certificate of appointment.
"Now, I reckon we won't have no trouble in gettin' the soldiers," he
grinned. "This sheriff is goin' to act!"