The making of a lawman

by Edson, John Thomas

  **You re getting old and careless, hombre/* commented the Kid amiabfy. **And you re not what Td call welcome here/*

  *Tro hell with you and this whole stinking townl" Ketter spat back and turned to reboard the train.

  Turning when he saw he would not be needed to deal with Ketter, Waco looked at the two nims. They stood with one of the loafers, the novice silent and head bowed as before, the mother superior pointing with a white, elegant hand towards some baggage a Negro porter was bringing out of the second car. Something puzzled the yoimgster, a small thought nagging at the back of his mind but unable to break out in full. Before he could take time to mull over the matter, Derringer sent him to intercept a man and woman who the conductor suggested made a speciality of the old Tbadger' game.

  The couple, having seen Ketter*s greeting, alighted on the other side of the car. Going over the platform, Waco jumped down and followed them.

  **You won't like it here, even if we'd let you stop,** he said.

  Turning, the big, bulky man eyed the yoimgster from head to toe. Dressed in Eastern fashion, he did not wear a gun but looked a powerful bruiser with big, hard-knuckled hands.

  'What's that?" the woman asked.

  'The *badger' game's mighty risky any place west of Chicago, ma'am," Waco rephed. **Was I you, I'd head back to the Windy City."

  "I don't get y— /* the woman answered. She was a pretty thing, yoimg and ideally suited for her part in the game.

  **Gal in Hays was the last I knowed to try a ^badger' game," Waco told her. "Picked on a poor, half-smart Texas boy for it as her first one. Only when her husband come busting into the bedroom, he got his head blowed clean off —^The feller they figured to *badger' was John Wesley Hardin."

  **Look, boy—,** began the man, dropping their bags and advancing menacingly.

  Then lie came to a halt, staring in amazement at the Colt which flashed into Waco's hand. New out from the East, their knowledge of cowhands confined to one meeting in the comparatively civilized confines of Chicago, neither of the ^bad-ger' pair had ever seen a real good Western gmi-fighter draw. Like most folks who witnessed the phenomenon for the first time, the speed with which the gmi appeared almost took their breath away.

  "Mister, most cowhands're near on as fast as that and can hit what they aim at across the width of a bedroom,** Waco warned, twirling away the Colt. ^TTou take my advice and find some other town."

  The man and woman exchanged worried glances. Operating the ^badger* game was simple. After the girl had hired a victim to her bedroom and disrobed, the man burst in on them. Claiming to be her husband, he accused the victim of alienating his wife's affections and demanded money to overlook the affair. While tough—^he had fought in the prize-ring —^the man realised that no amount of muscle could beat a heavy-calibre revolver. Smarter than her companion, the girl saw there would be little chance of operating in a town so eflBciently poHced, unless— "You wouldn't—," she started.

  "No, ma'am, I wouldn't" agreed Waco. "'Cause I'm a noble, true, honest lil Texas lx)y; and cause the marshal'd beat my pumpkin head shoulder-level if I let you bribe me to watch over you."

  Deep rumbles came from the man, but the woman gave a philosophical shrug. 'TTianks for the warning."

  "Happen you don't take it, ma'am," Waco repUed, "you'll wish you had."

  Noting the underlying hardness in the youngster's voice, the woman nodded and told her companion to return to the train. While the man picked up his bags, Waco saw the two nuns and their helper come aroimd the rear of the train. Holding the skirts of her habit up, the mother superior picked a dainty way over the rails on stylish shoes. As she saw Waco, she let the skirts drop with becoming modesty and flashed him a smile.

  "Still doing yom* duty, deputy," she said.

  "Yes, ma'am," he repUed and then gave his attention to

  the Tbadger' pair as they walked by him towards the train. By the time they had boarded the car, the nuns had passed out of sight between two buildings.

  **And there's another good piece of work well done,** Derringer commented as the train pulled out. "Even if I do say so myself .**

  "Let's take a look in on the Fair Lady as we go back/' Waco suggested. "Maybe the gals'll be wearing flieir new outfits."

  **And if they're not, you'll likely get a chance to talk to Babsy," the Kid grinned. "Chasing gals's all some of you fellers think about."

  **Wasn't you ever young yourself, Lon?" asked Derringer as they directed their feet towards the saloon.

  "All them danged Injuns do for courting's steal bosses to give to the gal's pappy," Waco sniffed. "I reckon our way's a whole heap better."

  "Stealing hosses's a whole mess of fun, boy,^ the Kid stated.

  "Not as much fim as finding out that the gal's got no hair on her chest," Waco said without thinking and could have cheerfully bitten off his tongue.

  "So that's what you did that night," Derringer gasped. "For shame," the Kid went on. "And me thinking youd learned some good ways since knowing me."

  Waco's reply was blistering, profane and nothing to do with the subject of how he spent his night off watch. By the time he finished, they had reached the Fair Lady and he led the way inside.

  If the deputies hoped to learn Freddie's plan to counter Buffalo Kate's attraction, they met disappointment. Being remarkably shrewd, the lady saloonkeeper did not intend to disclose her answer so early that her rival could defeat it. So the few girls present wore their normal dresses.

  So far the only customers were a few townsmen and a quartet of yoimger visitors. The latter wore low-heeled, heavy boots and bib-overalls, which meant they did not belong to cowhand, buffalo-hunter or railroad trades. Looking at them, Waco concluded that they must be from the near-by sod-busting homesteads. Despite the fact that all they drank was beer, the quartet were entertaining all the girls.

  "Hi," Waco greeted Vera, second of the barmaids. **Where's Babsy?"

  f

  98 THE MAKING OF A LAWMAN

  'Trying on the new dress the boss'U have us wearing tonight, deputy," one of tlie girls called. "And is it something?"

  "Youll get something if you blab your fool mouth off about it," Vera warned grimly. "What's it to be, gents?"

  **You re buying, boy," Derringer stated.

  "Am I?" Waco asked.

  "You are happen you want me and Frank to forget about them hairs on die chest," the Kid told him.

  "Damned if I shouldn't make you pair leave tov^nil" Waco snorted. "Three beers and take something for yourself, Miss Vera."

  "Just what's Miss Freddie fixing up back there, Vera gal?" the Kid inquired after she served the drinks.

  "Wait and see," the barmaid replied with a grin. "Itll make that Buffalo bunch sit back on their heels and wish ^ they'd stopped back in Brownton." I

  Before any further attempt could be made by the interested trio to discover the secret, the Fair Lady received more customers. Half a dozen cowhands trooped in. From their fresh-bathed and barbered appearance, taken with the fact that all wore new clothes, they had only recently received their pay. No cowhand with money in his pocket ever wasted time in looking for a place to spend it. Nor did he want to spend it all on himself. The six cowhands came to the Fair Lady looking for drinks, fun and female company.

  "Set up drinks, ma'am," ordered one of the party, hauling a wad of money from his pocket. "You gents from the marshal's oflBce take something?"

  "Just the one," Derringer replied. **The marshal'd slap a fine on us happen he caught us drinking."

  "We wouldn't want to make lawmen bust the law," the cowhand grinned and looked along the bar. "Reckon youVe any gals who'd take a drink vdth a bimch of thirsty Texas gents, ma'am?"

  "Open up some wine if they do, ma*am," another cowhand went on. 'They do say beer makes a gal fat."

  "Let's keep it friendly, boys," Derringer said quietly, moving along the bar as one of die young farmers slammed down his beer schooner.

  "You Texas boys seen the jail-house?" th
e Kid asked, facing the cowhands.

  "Can't miss it, which same I've seen as good back to home," one of them answered.

  "It's big and roomy," the Kid continued. "Trouble being they made the backnouse a mite small, so the marshal's having another built. He was just saying to me this morning how we ought to find somebody to dig the hole. Him and the judge allow to use the next bunch we bring in for making a fuss to dig it."

  "The last thing we want's fuss," stated the leader of the cowhands.

  However the girls drifted along the bar and joined the newcomers. Laughter rang out, along with squeals of plea-suie as Vera decanted wine and other drinks that their previous companions could not aflFord.

  "Blasted cowhands!" one of the young nesters spat out.

  **You can't even buy a drink when they're here," another continued bitterly. "Let's try the Wooden Spoon, they don't have gals in there."

  "It must be rough on the local kids," Derringer commented as the deputies watched the nesters stamp out of the saloon. "They come to town, but don't make the kind of money to compete with the cowhands, buffalo-hunters and railroad hands who drift in."

  None of the trio had noticed Freddie enter from the rear. Coming up, she saw the nesters leave and heard Derringer's wry comment.

  "What's the answer, Frank?" she asked.

  "Huh?" he grunted, turning.

  "To their problem. We have to keep our prices high to cover breakages and other overheads, like running through the winter when there're no trail-hands, buffalo-himters or railroad construction gangs in. Or those who are have no money. So we go as nigh as the traflBc will stand and the local boys are cut out because they can't afford it."

  "Which must set in their craw something fierce at times," Derringer agreed. "Like just now."

  'The girls shouldn't've walked away like they did," Freddie admitted. "But don't forget they're paid to entertain the customers, with bonuses for the amount spent. That means they go to those who can pay most. Mercenary, but understandable I suppose."

  "Sure."

  'Then what do I do, Frank?" Freddie insisted. "Stop the

  locals coming in during the trail season? That's not practical, or good business. They'll be around all through the winter. Let them pay less for their drinks than the visitors? Fine, xmtil some visitor notices that I'm doing it. Have separate rooms, or a part of town, just for locals? It's been tried without much success in other places, or so I've heard. What is the answer, Frank?"

  **You've got me," he admitted. *TIuman nature being what it is, whichever way you go, it'll be wrong for sure."

  Freddie looked at the gambler with a smile. 'Tou're either a cynic or a philosopher, Frank, but I don't know which."

  *Tfou tell me what they mean, and I'll right smart tell you which, ma'am," Waco put in. "Say, where-at's Babsy?"

  "She'll be out when she's changed," Freddie promised and went on just a touch too innocently. "Have you been in the Buffalo todayr

  "Nope," Derringer answered. "And if I had, I wouldn't say what I'd seen. One thing Im not doing's getting mixed between you and Kate."

  "You don't think I care what that fat trollop does, do you?" Freddie snorted, soimding as if she meant it.

  "AU I know is that coming between you two'd be worse than standing on a log between two bobcats," Derringer grinned.

  "Which same you'll wish you was on that log happen Dusty has to come looking for us," the Kid remarked, setting down an empty glass. "Let's go and see what the boss man has for us to do."

  "Knowing him," Waco replied. "It'll be something for certain sure."

  IT GOES WITH WEARING THE BADGE

  "Well, what do you think?" Babsy asked, just a touch defiantly, as she twirled around in front of Waco to let him take in the full impact of the Fair Lady's answer to the BuflFalo's challenge.

  While aware that the rival saloon must be firmly put in its place, the Httle blonde felt a twinge of concern over how Waco might regard her appearance. The dress she wore ended just below the tops of her black stockings, exposing shapely legs to view, while the decollet6 was considerably more daring than anything so far achieved by the Buffalo's girls. Admiration flickered on the young deputy's face, for the dress set off Babsy's buxom figure to its best advantage.

  "Whooee!" he said, reaching out and taking her by the arms. "Miss Kate'll have to go some to lick this, gal."

  "Lay offi" Babsy ordered unconvincingly. "Give over."

  They stood in a room at the rear of the Fair Lady, having met for a quick talk before starting their respective night's work. Drawing Babsy to him, Waco bent and kissed her.

  "If I wasn't on watch—," he breathed.

  "And tf I didn't have to work tonight, I'd say yes for sure," she replied. "Only Miss Freddie needs me to do some songs."

  "It's surely hell," Waco said after kissing her again. *T11 have to get going, Babsy gal."

  101

  **You stay away from the BuflFalo and that fat ginger-haired cowl" Babsy warned, opening the door to let him out.

  "I wonder if she's got any hairs on her chest/' Waco remarked.

  *Tou just let me catch you trying to find out, that's alll" Babsy squealed and slammed the door in an attempt to hit him across the heels as he stepped into the night. Then she opened it again and peeked out. "Heyl Come back aroimd ten and we'll take a walk."

  "Why sure, honey. I'll take you to the Hvery bam to see the golden horse-shoe nail."

  "Garni A groom back home tried to show me it once.**

  "Maybe Ginger hasn't seen it," Waco grinned.

  "She's old enough to have put it diere," Babsy sniffed. "Ten o'clock."

  "Ill be here, all being well," Waco promised and walked away as the door closed once more.

  Still grinning, Waco strolled along the street. Take it any way, that Babsy was quite a gal. Then a frown wiped off the grin. Maybe Miss Freddie and Buffalo Kate were carrying Sieir feud a mite too far with the abbreviations to their girls' costumes. While Freddie seemed to have gone the limit, Waco could not see Kate allowing the challenge to go im-answered. Waco wondered what fmther reductions the Buffalo girls could make to their clothing, if any, and whether the Fair Lady would be able to counter the measures.

  Pleasant though the speculations might be, he shook them from his head and concentrated on the work for which the tax-paying citizens of Mulrooney had hired him. Derringer was supervising a high-stake poker game that night, while 3ie Kid and Mark were keeping watch at the jail. As Dusty and Big Sarah both had ofiier work, the youngster made the roimds alone. However, since handling the two hide-hunters at the Buffab, he felt that he could cope with anything that came along.

  Everything aroimd town seemed peaceful enough, the newly-arrived cowhands enjoying themselves without running horse-races through the streets, or engaging in impromptu target practice. Maybe later things would liven up. Not that Waco cared if the pacific state continued. With almost a week's practical law-enforcement behind him, Waco had adopted the typical peace-oflBcer's attitude. No longer did he

  hope for something exciting to happen, being content to stroll his rounds quietly and undisturbed.

  As always the youngster did his work thoroughly. Passing Lily Gouchs estabhshment, he saw a few cow-horses standing hitched to the front fence, heard laughter and music from inside but did not enter. Lily ran a quiet, orderly disorderly house and the law saw no reason to interfere with it. So the youngster walked on, heading for the livery bam.

  Always a tempting target for thieves, despite horse-stealing being a hanging offence, the bam received frequent visits by the patrolling deputies. So did the neighbouring freight outfit's warehouse, which ako carried items to attract outlaws.

  Coming towards the rear of the two buildings, Waco saw that a light was glowing in the freight outfit's first-floor office window. As usual the outside stairs up to the office were illuminated by a hanging lantern at their head. Walking between the two businesses' corrals, Waco saw a pair of men coming hurriedly down the st
airs. Though the light, being behind them, threw their faces into deep shadow, he could see enough to realise they were neither clerks from the office, nor company drivers.

  The one in the lead would be Waco's size and build, wearing a Stetson hat of some age and north-coimtry style, a red and black check mackinaw jacket, levis pants hanging outside heavy, low-heeled boots, with a Ballard single-shot rifle in his right hand, the left gripping a bulging flour sack. Shorter and slighter built, the second man wore a black wolfskin coat that reached his knees, pants tucked into the same kind of boots as his companion's, a battered U.S. cavalry campaign hat without its insignia, and toted a long-barrelled, muzzle-loading shotgun.

  Everything about the pair warned Waco that they meant trouble. So he moved forward ready to draw and shoot should the need arise. Even as he opened his mouth to yell out a challenge the two men saw him.

  "Beat it!" hissed the taller and leapt for the darkness beyond the lamp's pool of hght.

  Without offering to raise the shotgun, fortimately for him, the second man sprang with commendable speed after his companion.

  "Hold iti" Waco yelled, right hand flowing down to draw its Colt as he limged out from between the corrals. However the two men gave no sign of obeying the command.

  One of the rules Dusty had emphasised from the start was that a gun must be used only as a la5t resort, not as a convenient means of halting a fleeing suspect. So Waco held his fire. If the pair had offered resistance, the yoimgster would have acted without hesitation; but he could not shoot down men who ran away.

  Already the men were dashing through the shadows towards the end of the building. Colt in hand, Waco set off after them, running at an angle before the freight outfit's warehouse. Then he saw two figures appear at the oflBce window, throwing up its lower section to look out. He recognised them as the outfit's clerk having met them both around town. With that thought in mind, he continued to run, ignoring the fact that each of the clerks held a revolver. Wanting to catch up with the fleeing pair, the yoimgster clean forgot that the darkness made him an indistinct, unidentifiable shape. He learned the mistake quickly enough.