Part 29 (1/2)

”It was a gent you'd never have suspected--that skinny little schoolteacher, Gaspar.”

”I never liked the looks of him,” said Red Chalmers gloomily. ”I always got to have a second thought about a gent that's too smooth with the ladies. And that was this here Jig. So he done the shooting?”

”It was a fight over Sally Bent,” explained the sheriff. ”Sandersen and some of the rest in Sour Creek fixed up a posse and went out and grabbed Gaspar. They gave him a lynch trial and was about to string him up when a stranger named Sinclair, a man who had joined up with the posse, steps out and holds for keeping Gaspar and turning him over to me, to be hung all proper and legal. I heard about all this and went out to the Bent house, first thing this morning, to get Gaspar, who was left there in charge of this Sinclair. Any of you ever heard about him?”

A general bowing of heads followed, as the men began to consider, all save Arizona, who never thought when he could avoid it, and positively never used his memory. He habitually allowed the dead past to bury its dead.

”It appears to me like I've heard of a Sinclair up to Colma,” murmured Bill Wood. ”That was four or five years back, and I b'lieve he was called a sure man in a fight.”

”That's him,” muttered the sheriff. He was greatly relieved to know that his antagonist had already achieved so comfortable a reputation.

”A big, lean, hungry-eyed gent, with a restless pair of hands. He come along with me while I was bringing Gaspar, but I didn't think nothing about it, most nacheral. I leave it to you, boys!”

Settling themselves they leaned forward in their chairs.

”We was talking about hosses and suchlike, which Sinclair talked uncommon slick. He seemed a knowing gent, and I opened up to him, but in the middle of things he paws out his Colt, as smooth as you ever see, and he shoves it under my nose.”

Sheriff Kern paused. He was wearing gloves in spite of the fact that he was in his office. These gloves seem to have a peculiarly businesslike meaning for the others, and now they watched, fascinated, while the sheriff tugged his fingers deeper into the gloves, as if he were getting ready for action. He cleared his throat and managed to snap out the rest of the shameful statement.

”He stuck me up, boys, and he told Jig to beat it up the trail. Then he backed off, keeping me covered all the time, until he was around the hill. The minute he was out of sight I follered him, but when it come into view, him and Gaspar was high-tailing through the hills. I didn't have no rifle, and it was plumb foolish to chase two killers with nothing but a Colt. Which I leave it to you gents!”

”Would have been crazy, sheriff,” a.s.serted Red Chalmers.

”I dunno,” sighed Arizona, patting his fat stomach reminiscently. ”I dunno. I guess you was right, Kern.”

The others glared at him, and the sheriff became purple.

”So I come back and figured that I'd best get together the handiest little bunch of fighting men I could lay hands on. That's why I sent for you four.”

Clumsily they made their acknowledgements.

”Because,” said Kern, ”it don't take no senator to see that something has got to be done. Sour Creek is after Gaspar, and now it'll be after Sinclair, too. But they got clear of me, and I'm the sheriff of Woodville. It's up to Woodville to get 'em back. Am I right?”

Again they nodded, and the sheriff, growing warmer as he talked, s.n.a.t.c.hed off a glove and mopped his forehead. As his arm fell, he noted that Arizona had seen something which fascinated him. His eyes followed every gesture of the sheriff's hand.

”Is that the whole story?” asked Arizona.

”The whole thing,” declared Kern stoutly, and he glared at the man from the southland.

”Because if it's anything worse,” said Arizona innocently, ”we'd ought to know it. The honor of Woodville is at stake.”

”Oh, it's bad enough this way,” grumbled Joe Stockton, and the sheriff, hastily restoring his glove, grunted a.s.sent.

”Now, boys, let's hear some plans.”

”First thing,” said Red Chalmers, rising, ”is for each of us to pick out the best hoss in his string, and then we'll all ride over to the place where they left and pick up the trail.”

”Not a bad idea,” approved Kern.

There was a general rising.