Drait and his wife came out of the house just as the procession arrived; they were about to take their usual ride. The intruder surveyed them malevolently.
`Needin' me?' the nester enquired.
`You betcha,' Camort replied, and held up a paper. `This is a warrant.'
`Another?' Drait grinned. Perseverin' fella, ain't you? What have you cooked up this time?'
`Just a little matter o' liftin' other folk's cattle, that's all,' the sheriff sneered, and turned to his assistants. `Take his gun an' put the cuffs on him. If he resists, shoot.'
Wall-eye and his companion hesitated, and then began to dismount--slowly. Drait's harsh voice interrupted the operation. `Stay in yore saddles--you'll be safer. I'm comin' with you, Stinker, free an' armed. In case you got other ideas, let me point out that Quilt is holdin' a rifle on you, an' if I nod, Midway will be able to elect a real sheriff. As for yore hirelin's, I could put 'em on the ground quicker'n they'd get there any other way. Next time you try to take me by force, you'd better bring the force.'
Camort's face was poisonous. `There won't be no next time,' he snarled. `We got the deadwood on you.'
It was at this point that Sudden and Yorky rode up. Drait grinned. 'Comin' to town, Jim? Stinker has issued an invite.' He turned to Mary. `Yorky will take you along the valley.'
In a few moments they set out, the nester and Sudden in advance, with the sheriff and his deputies following. Quilt convoyed them to the gate.
`Say, Nick, let them polecats ride ahead, in case of an accident,' he advised loudly.
`You're forgettin' Stinker represents the Law, with a big L,' his boss smiled.
`Mis-represents it, you mean,' the foreman snorted. `There's another big hell a-gapin' for him if he tries any tricks.'
`Threats from yore men won't help you, or scare me from doin' my dooty,' Camort growled.
`Quilt ain't threatenin' you, he's just makin' a promise,' Drait returned lightly. `An' he's one o' those unusual people who keeps 'em.'
Comforting himself with the reflection that his turn was coming, the sheriff dropped into a sullen silence which his underlings forbore to break. A few yards in front of them Nick and his companion conversed in low tones.
The usually busy street of Midway seemed strangely empty. Outside the bank, Drait pulled up, slipped from his saddle, and went in. The sheriff uttered an exclamation and put a hand to his gun-butt, only to fetch it away with celerity when Sudden turned a chilly eye on him, the nester was back in a few moments. A little further along they were welcomed with a whoop by Pilch.
"Lo, Nick, you've won me ten bucks,' he greeted. `I bet you'd face the music, come free, an' wearin' yore gun.'
`Good for you, ol-timer,' Drait smiled. `Hope it ain't one o' my friends yo're saltin'.'
`Not any; the victim is that happy-lookin' guy behind you, with a star on his manly buzzum.'
The nester stole a glance at the sheriff, whose face resembled a miniature thunder-cloud, and shook his head. Too bad to take advantage of a half-wit,' he said. `Where's everybody?'
`Down to the court-room. Say, they got it all arranged--jury packed--Stinker would say "picked" but it's the same thing, witnesses primed up, and the Judge waitin' to walk in, sober, if possible. But you'll have a square deal, son, or the fur'll fly. I'll have that ten now, Camort; fat men like you is apt to die unexpected.'
The money was handed over; Pilch owned the principal store and had influence in the town, and the officer was well aware that his own popularity was on the wane. He was relying on this trial to re-establish it.
A group of idlers outside the court-house welcomed their arrival with a cheer and hurried in with the news. There was no demonstration when they entered beyond a murmur of excitement and a craning of necks to see how the accused was taking it. What they saw was an entirely unconcerned man, whose eyes twinkled when they encountered a friendly face, and froze for those which were hostile.
The room was spacious, with a raised platform at one end ors which stood a desk for the Judge, and in front, a table for his clerk. At the right and left, were railed-in stands. The sheriff pointed to one of these.
`There's the dock,' he said.
`Try an' get me into it,' Drait retorted grimly, and approached two chairs in the first row for himself and his companion.
Camort decided not to insist. The place was full, those unable to find seats lounging against the walls. Sudden recognised some of them: Vasco and his foreman, with Cullin sitting next; Gilman, whispering with the sheriff, apparently not quite at ease; Bardoe and Lanty, whose eyes gleamed evilly when they rested on the accused; Merker, and to his surprise, the lawyer, Seale. He sought the jury and found it in an enclosure which afforded a good view of nhe witness-stand and the dock, and one glance told him that the members would be more at home in the latter place.
A door at the back of the platform opened, and the Judge entered, deposited his high hat on the desk, sat down, and surveyed the gathering nhrough red-rimmed, watery eyes.
`He ain't feelin' so good,' someone remarked audibly. `I'll bet breakfast meant just nothin' to him this mornin'.'
`Where's the prisoner?' the Judge snapped. `Why isn't he in the dock?'
Draft stood up. `Because I am not a prisoner,' he said. `I came here o' my own free will.'
Towler apparently took no notice; he was listening to the sheriff's mumbled explanation.
`Most irregular,' he said irritably, and glared at the culprit. `You are charged with stealing cattle from the S P ranch. Are you guilty or not guilty?'
`That's what you gotta find out,' Drait said drily.
The Judge made a gesture of impatience. Put Gilman in the box,' he told the sheriff, and when this had been done, added, `State your case.'
`I'm accusin' Draft there o' rustlin' one hundred head, calves an' yearlin's, from the S P,' the foreman stated. `Two o' my men saw him drivin' em off 'bout daybreak.'
`Yo're shore it was just a hundred?' the nester asked, and when Gilman nodded, `Searchin' out that number o' unmarked beasts in the dark'd be a long an' pesky job.'
`You didn't have it to do; they was rounded up in the home pasture all ready for
`Me to take?' Nick finished blandly.
`No, for us to brand in the mornin'--that's how I know the tally,' Gilman grinned. He felt he had scored a point.
`Why didn't yore fellas do somethin'?'
`They was two to yore five. When I heard, I put it up to the sheriff. He suggested we lay a trap to make shore; we baited it with fifty more critters, an' you tumbled right into it.'
`Did you inform Mister Seale, yore boss, of these losses?'
`No, I ain't seen him, an' I expected to git the missin' cattle back.'
`I like yore second reason better,' Drait said, and turned to the Judge. `Mebbe it'll shorten the proceedin's if I own to takin' the herds, but--'
`That's an admission of guilt, and I will not listen to excuses,' Towler cut in.
`You ain't goin' to hear any, an' a man in yore position shouldn't jump to conclusions, even if he is thirsty,' came the acid reply. 'I'm tellin' you facts, an' by God! yo're goin' to listen.' Their eyes met and clashed, but the older man--his will weakened by excess--was no match for his young, virile opponent. His head dropped, and he said wearily, `I'll hear you.'
The cattle were taken by arrangement with that dirty cur,' Drait resumed, pointing to the witness. `That's why they were rounded up in readiness. He wanted 'em driven away early so it shouldn't be knowed he was sellin' stock--claimed the S P was short o' cash. Was that so, Mister Seale?'
`No,' the lawyer replied curtly.
`I paid for these beasts, seven bucks a head, all round,' Drait continued, amid a dead silence.