by Rex Beach
"Shoo, yu'll be all right soon--yore only plugged in th' arms," heremarked as he glanced up the street. Shadowy forms were gliding fromcover to cover and he immediately caused consternation among them byhis accuracy. "Ain't it sad?" He complained to the wounded man. "I neverstarts out but what somebody makes me shoot 'em. Came down here to seea girl an' find she's married. Then when I moves on peaceable--like herhusband makes me hit him. Then I wants a drink an' he goes an' fans aknife at me, an' me just teachin' him how! Then yu has to come along an'make more trouble".
"Now look at them fools over there," he said, pointing at a dark shadowsome fifty paces off. "They're pattin' their backs because I don'tsee 'em, an' if I hurts them they'll git mad. Guess I'll make 'em dustalong," he added, shooting into the spot. A howl went up and two men ranaway at top speed.
The sheriff nodded his sympathy and spoke. "I reckons you had bettergive up. You can't get away. Every house, every corner and shadow holdsa man. You are a brave man, but, as you say, unfortunate. Better help meup and come with me--they'll tear you to pieces."
"Shore I'll help yu up--I ain't got no grudge against nobody. But myfriends know where I am an' they'll come down here an' raise a ructionif I don't show up. So, if it's all th' same to you, I'll be amblingright along," he said as he helped the sheriff to his feet.
"Have you any objections to telling me your name?" Asked the sheriff ashe looked himself over.
"None whatever," answered Hopalong heartily. "I'm Hopalong Cassidy ofth' Bar 20, Texas."
"You don't surprise me--I've heard of you," replied the sheriff wearily."You are the man who killed Tamale Jose, whom I hunted for unceasingly.I found him when you had left and I got the reward. Come again sometime and I'll divide with you; two hundred and fifty dollars," he addedcraftily.
"I shore will, but I don't want no money," replied Hopalong as he turnedaway. "Adios, senor," he called back.
"Adios," replied the sheriff as he kicked a nearby door for assistance.
The cow-pony tied itself up in knots as it pounded down the streettoward the trail, and although he was fired on he swung into the dustytrail with a song on his lips. Several hours later he stood dripping weton the American side of the Rio Grande and shouted advice to a score ofMexican cavalrymen on the opposite bank. Then he slowly picked his waytoward El Paso for a game at Faro Dan's.
The sheriff sat in his easy chair one night some three weeks later,gravely engaged in rolling a cigarette. His arms were practically well,the wounds being in the fleshy parts. He was a philosopher and wasdisposed to take things easy, which accounted for his being in hisofficial position for fifteen years. A gentleman at the core, he waswell educated and had visited a goodly portion of the world. A book ofHorace lay open on his knees and on the table at his side lay a shiningnew revolver, Hopalong having carried off his former weapon. He readaloud several lines and in reaching for a light for his cigarettenoticed the new six-shooter. His mind leaped from Horace to Hopalong,and he smiled grimly at the latter's promise to call.
Glancing up, his eyes fell on a poster which conveyed the information inSpanish and in English that there was offered
+--------------------------------------+ | | FIVE HUNDRED PESOS | |
REWARD
For Hopalong Cassidy, of the Ranch
| | Known as the Bar-20, Texas, U. S. A. | |
+--------------------------------------+
and which gave a good description of that gentleman.
Sighing for the five hundred, he again took up his book and was lost inits pages when he heard a knock, rather low and timid. Wearily layingaside his reading, he strode to the door, expecting to hear a lengthycomplaint from one of his townsmen. As he threw the door wide open thelight streamed out and lighted up a revolver and behind it the beamingface of a cowboy, who grinned.
"Well, I'll be damned!" ejaculated the sheriff, starting back inamazement.
"Don't say that, sheriff; you've got lots of time to reform," replied ahumorous voice. "How's th' wings?"
"Almost well: you were considerate," responded the sheriff. "Let's goin--somebody might see me out here an' get into trouble," suggested thevisitor, placing his foot on the sill.
"Certainly--pardon my discourtesy," said the sheriff. "You see, Iwasn't expecting you to-night," he explained, thinking of theelaborate preparations that he would have gone to if he had thought theirrepressible would call.
"Well, I was down this way, an' seeing as how I had promised to dropin I just natchurally dropped," replied Hopalong as he took the chairproffered by his host.
After talking awhile on everything and nothing the sheriff coughed andlooked uneasily at his guest.
"Mr. Cassidy, I am sorry you called, for I like men of your energy andcourage and I very much dislike to arrest you," remarked the sheriff."Of course you understand that you are under arrest," he added withanxiety.
"Who, me?" Asked Hopalong with a rising inflection.
"Most assuredly," breathed the sheriff.
"Why, this is the first time I ever heard anything about it," repliedthe astonished cow-puncher. "I'm an American--don't that make anydifference?"
"Not in this case, I'm afraid. You see, it's for manslaughter."
"Well, don't that beat th' devil, now?" Said Hopalong. He felt sorrythat a citizen of the glorious United States should be prey fortroublesome sheriffs, but he was sure that his duty to Texas called uponhim never to submit to arrest at the hands of a Mexican. Rememberingthe Alamo, and still behind his Colt, he reached over and took up theshining weapon from the table and snapped it open on his knee. Afterplacing the cartridges in his pocket he tossed the gun over on the bedand, reaching inside his shirt, drew out another and threw it after thefirst.
"That's yore gun; I forgot to leave it," he said, apologetically."Anyhow yu needs two," he added.
Then he glanced around the room, noticed the poster and walked overand read it. A full swift sweep of his gloved hand tore it from itsfastenings and crammed it under his belt. The glimmer of anger in hiseyes gave way as he realized that his head was worth a definite price,and he smiled at what the boys would say when he showed it to them.Planting his feet far apart and placing his arms akimbo he faced hishost in grim defiance.
"Got any more of these?" He inquired, placing his hand on the posterunder his belt.
"Several," replied the sheriff.
"Trot 'em out," ordered Hopalong shortly.
The sheriff sighed, stretched and went over to a shelf, from which hetook a bundle of the articles in question. Turning slowly he looked atthe puncher and handed them to him.
"I reckons they's all over this here town," remarked Hopalong.
"They are, and you may never see Texas again."
"So? Well, yu tell yore most particular friends that the job is worthfive thousand, and that it will take so many to do it that when th'mazuma is divided up it won't buy a meal. There's only one man in thiscountry tonight that can earn that money, an' that's me," said thepuncher. "An' I don't need it," he added, smiling.
"But you are my prisoner--you are under arrest," enlightened the sheriff,rolling another cigarette. The sheriff spoke as if asking a question.Never before had five hundred dollars been so close at hand and yet sounobtainable. It was like having a check-book but no bank account.
"I'm shore sorry to treat yu mean," remarked Hopalong, "but I was paid amonth in advance an' I'll have to go back an' earn it."
"You can--if you say that you will return," replied the sherifftentatively. The sheriff meant what he said and for the moment hadforgotten that he was powerless and was not the one to make terms.
Hopalong was amazed and for a time his ideas of Mexicans staggered underthe blow. Then he smiled sympathetically as he realized that he faced awhite man.
"Never like to promise nothin'," he replied. "I might get plugged, orsomething might happen that wouldn't let me." Then his face lighted upas a thought came to him. "Say, I'll cut di' ca
rds with yu to see if Icomes back or not."
The sheriff leaned back and gazed at the cool youngster before him.A smile of satisfaction, partly at the self-reliance of his guest andpartly at the novelty of his situation, spread over his face. He reachedfor a pack of Mexican cards and laughed. "Man! You're a cool one--I'll doit. What do you call?"
"Red," answered Hopalong.
The sheriff slowly raised his hand and revealed the ace of hearts.Hopalong leaned back and laughed, at the same time taking from hispocket the six extracted cartridges. Arising and going over to thebed he slipped them in the chambers of the new gun and then placed theloaded weapon at the sheriff's elbow.
"Well, I reckon I'll amble, sheriff," he said as he opened the door. "Ifyu ever sifts up my way drop in an' see me--th' boys'll give yu a goodtime."
"Thanks; I will be glad to," replied the sheriff. "You'll take yourpitcher to the well once too often some day, my friend. This courtesy,"glancing at the restored revolver, "might have cost you dearly."
"Shoo! I did that once an' th' feller tried to use it," repliedthe cowboy as he backed through the door. "Some people are awfullycareless," he added. "So long--"
"So long," replied the sheriff, wondering what sort of a man he had beenentertaining.
The door closed softly and soon after a joyous whoop floated in fromthe Street. The sheriff toyed with the new gun and listened to the lowcaress of a distant guitar.
"Well, don't that beat all?" He ejaculated.