The Sheriff of Badger: A Tale of the Southwest Borderland

by George Pattullo

  CHAPTER VII

  JOHNSON IS ELECTED SHERIFF OF BADGER

  For you or for me a certain embarrassment would attach to a return towork at a place we had sworn to avoid forever. Nothing of the sortappeared to trouble Buffalo Jim. A month previous he had left the LazyL, scornful of cow work, vowing that he would live like a gentleman allhis days. Now, penniless and unrepentant, he came back as a matter ofcourse.

  Indeed, Shortredge put his horses into the corral at headquarters as aman might who had reached home from a long trip. And there was not avestige of surprise on Floyd's face when he greeted Jim. He did itcasually, and shook hands with Lafe and said that he was glad to seehim. Then he gave Buffalo certain orders for the morrow, touching thematter of salt for the cattle, just as though Jim had never been off theranch. The cowboy merely said: "You stayed a week longer'n we figuredon, Buf'lo."

  So Buffalo Jim went to work at daybreak and Johnson loitered atheadquarters. Mrs. Floyd was unaffectedly glad to see him and was nottoo inquisitive as to why he happened to be there. Indeed, she appearedto take his arrival as quite natural, which spared Lafe much confusion.He played with Tommy most of the time, and on the third day of his stayhe sounded Floyd on the subject of a job. The boss had expected it, andsurmising that Lafe was hard up, attempted to drive a hard bargain. Aprudent man, such was his practice. It may be, too, that the boss didnot especially relish the notion of Johnson being permanently on theplace.

  "Oh, no," said Lafe, "I couldn't take that."

  He was never one to accept anything handed him merely because hissituation looked desperate. That policy of compromise might befit theweak, but Johnson was made of sterner stuff. No matter in what straitshis mistakes landed him, he forever kept his own valuation at a certainfigure. And usually other men accepted his estimate.

  "That's the best I can do," Floyd ended. "I've got a range boss already,and a top hand ain't worth over fifty a month, Lafe."

  "All right. I'll be drifting."

  "Stick around a bit, anyhow. We might strike a trade later. Say, come upto the house. The missus wants you to stay with us instead of down hereat the bunkhouse."

  "Thanks," said Lafe, "but your cook's been sick since that weddin'. No,I reckon I'd best hang round with the boys down here."

  He remained at the Lazy L a week, half expecting that Horne would senda message to bespeak his services again. In paying him off, the cowmanhad intimated that he would shortly have other deals to be put through.A message arrived, but not from the cattle buyer. The bearer came, hesaid, from Turner, the storekeeper and justice of the peace of Badger.After listening for a moment, Lafe led him behind the barn for furtherconverse.

  "They want me to run for Sheriff of Badger," he told Buffalo Jim thatnight.

  "Go to it," said Jim. "It'll make the town a heap pleasanter for us.We'll feel safer. The boys'll sure be pleased."

  It would appear that Johnson's bloodless defeat of Moffatt had made adeep appeal to the citizens of Badger. They reasoned that a man whodared make a fool of a notorious character should be able to make shortwork of lesser fry. Accordingly, their message was that the law-abidingresidents of the town were desirous of securing Mr. Johnson's services;and would he come forthwith? To this Lafe answered that he would returnto Badger in a day or two, and the messenger departed. And for two soliddays Johnson dawdled about headquarters, absolutely idle. He had an ideathat to show eagerness would be to weaken his position. This surmiseproved correct.

  Badger leaped at once to the conclusion that they could not get him.Yes, he had seemed reluctant, said the messenger. Now, the average mandoes not want a thing badly until he is persuaded he can obtain it onlyby strenuous effort. And masses are like individuals, in this respect.That was why, as Lafe approached the town, he met a small party ofhorsemen headed for the Lazy L. It was a deputation of citizens, set outto cajole him into accepting the office. Briefly and earnestly theyexplained how things stood in Badger.

  "All right," said Lafe, "I'll run. But remember this--when I'm elected,you-all look alike to me. I won't play favorites. There'll be law andorder in Badger."

  "Sure," the committee agreed. "That's the ticket, Lafe. Well, let's havea li'l' touch, just for luck."

  Johnson's opponent in the election was simply nowhere. The tale ofLafe's prowess grew with every telling. Tim Haverty asserted on hishopes of heaven that Lafe could take a six-shooter and drive the nailsinto the shoes of a running horse. Personally, I suspect Mr. Haverty tohave been guilty of some slight exaggeration. Still, there was ampleevidence that Johnson could handle a gun, and nobody on the Borderdoubted his courage. Led by Turner, the respectable element voted forhim as a unit. The others--the hard drinkers, and the gamblers, and menof no steady means of support--ranged with Lafe, too. They had known himas a "good fellow," a man liberal with his money and equally liberal inhis views. Therefore they anticipated no trouble to themselves from hiselection.

  In this manner was Lafe Johnson elected sheriff of Badger. When madeacquainted with the result, he took a long breath and grew very solemn.

  "Gentlemen," he said, "I thank you for your support. And I'll sure do myduty."

  The opportunity was afforded him that same night. Some of them who hadworked most ardently for Lafe were gathered in the Cowboys' Rest, andthere was considerable drinking. A dispute arose, and in the course ofit the landlord laid out one of the disputants with a chair. A panickyperson fired a gun. That brought Lafe into the Rest at a quick run.

  "Stop it," he shouted. "The very first man who pulls a gun goes againstme. Tommy, give me that six-shooter. Now, you get out and wait for me."

  He broke Tommy's gun and motioned him outside. Then Johnson examined theinjured man on the floor. He was badly hurt.

  "You'll have to come along with me," he told the landlord.

  "Go along with you? Go along--why, Lafe, I just had to hit him." Thelandlord could hardly believe his ears. Had he not repeated three timesfor Lafe in the election?

  "You can explain that to the judge. Come on, now. Get moving."

  The landlord gaped a moment and then announced that he hoped to bedamned if he went. If Lafe thought he could double-cross him in thatmanner, he had a few things to learn. The sheriff made a step forwardand the landlord reached under the bar for his .45. Before he couldraise it, Johnson gripped his wrist and with his free hand struck himover the head with the butt of Tommy's gun. The landlord gave a gruntand dropped into the sheriff's arms like a sack of meal. Five minuteslater he went before the justice of the peace very quietly, along withTommy.

  "Understand me"--the new sheriff faced the crowd that followed, some ofthem murmuring--"I'd arrest my best friend if he broke the law. Rememberthat."

  "Hell, Lafe," they protested, "this is running it over us."

  "We're going to have order here in Badger. Come on, you two," saidJohnson.

  Then he went bail for his prisoners.