The Complete Novels of Ernest Haycox. Ernest Haycox

discontent. The gallery gods found this an unhappy ending to the thus far splendid entertainment. Tuggs sat miserably downcast. But Al Niland rose, smiling in that tight and gleaming manner Sundown knew presaged trouble. The silence became absolute again. Niland cleared his throat and made a generous gesture toward Wilgus. "I congratulate you in having won a victory of principle. To such a man of principle as all Yellow Hill knows you to be, the verdict must be especially pleasing. There seems at this juncture nothing for the defendant to do but pay the bill and bear up. In so far as Tuggs is able to do these things he will. Fortunately we spent very little on the case, having little to spend. I think our costs will run about twelve dollars. A kind friend of Tuggs's was generous enough to pay this. As to the bill just rendered by the plaintiff, we will willingly pay all that we are able, and to that end Tuggs has itemized for me a list of all his earthly possessions. They include, two blankets, three quilts, some dishes, the suits of clothes he wears, a mouth organ, and one valise. Estimated value, five dollars at forced sale, excluding the suit of clothes, which by law he is entitled to keep. Therefore, your honor, we will pay over the five dollars readily, leaving Mr. Wilgus out of pocket only $411.12."

      The ensuing roar almost lifted the ceiling of the room. The judge stood up and banged his gavel viciously; and above all this turmoil and fury rose the agonized screech of Fleabite Wilgus. "I'll see about that! It ain't so! I won't stand a penny of it! I'll slap an attachment, a lien on every gol-blasted thing he's got! There's stock—there's implements—!"

      "Silence in this court!" bellowed the judge.

      "You can't skin me!" cried Wilgus, and shook his fist at the judge. "You neither, you mealy-mouthed son-of-a-gun!"

      "Twenty-five dollars for contempt!" said his honor.

      Niland still stood and still smiled. His answering words quieted the room. "For a man of principle, Mr. Wilgus, you should not object to the price. If you can find anything to attach other than the aforementioned articles, go to it. Tuggs rents the place he lives on. He rents the implements, the harness, the very wood he lights his fire with. He had five head of milk stock, which by strange coincidence he sold twenty-four hours before the papers in this suit were filed. He has one horse, loaned to him by the late David Denver. Other than that he has nothing. The horse you might have bought for twenty dollars now costs you better than four hundred. It's the principle of the thing, Mr. Wilgus."

      Wilgus shook his fist at his attorney. "Yore a fine lawyer! Why didn't you tell me he didn't have nothin'? What made you run up them bills so high, anyhow?"

      Through all this Langdell had remained aloof and very faintly amused. He stopped Wilgus curtly. "I said you might be better off buying the horse, Wilgus. I said you would gain nothing otherwise. Please be kind enough to stop moving your fist in my face!"

      "You paid them bills out of your own pocket!" shouted Wilgus. "Just try and get any money outa me! You'll see!"

      "The money," said Langdell, so quietly that only the front rows heard it, "has already been deducted from the sum I owe you on livestock purchases. Including my attorney's fee of $150. Stop scolding your own lawyer, you fool."

      Wilgus extricated himself from the fore part of the courtroom and started out. At that same moment Grover, the livery stable man, came in.

      "Y'honor," he called, "whose horse have I got, anyhow?"

      "Turn it over to Wilgus," directed the court.

      "Fine enough," grunted Grover. "Git yuh a team, Wilgus, and drag him outa my place. He died on me, twenty minutes ago."

      The courtroom became a weird scene of thirty or more men collapsing on the benches; and the howling laughter started a runaway down Main Street.

      Steve shouldered to the street, for the moment at ease in mind. Langdell emerged with graven irony; then Wilgus came leaping after, stopped Langdell, and cursed him. "Listen, you! I'll have yuh disbarred for this! Don't think I won't!"

      "I have wound up my affairs with you, Wilgus," said Langdell, cold as ice. "I wish to have no more to do with you. You disregarded my first advice. I took your case in doubt. Now that it is over I am free to say I'm not sorry at the result. I despise your hypocritical manner, you dirty codger. Take this warning from me: If ever you address me again in the same terms you have just used, I shall challenge you on the street. Get out of here!"

      Wilgus glared at him and shambled swiftly off. The last Sundown saw of the man was a pair of coat tails streaming down Prairie Street on top of a fast traveling horse. Langdell drew out a handkerchief, wiped a fleck of dust from his sleeve, and turned in the direction of his office, throwing a non-committal glance at Steve. Directly afterward Niland strolled through the courthouse door. And then the ominous weight of oncoming events dropped down on Steve's shoulders with an actual physical hurt. Niland's eyes warned him. Together they walked as far as the hotel.

      "Anything more?" murmured Niland.

      "He's collectin' the boys. Seven o'clock up behind Lola Monterey's."

      "What am I to do?"

      "No instructions. Wait till then and duck up there."

      "Careful—careful," said Niland. "There's Redmain men in this town. Not his riders, but sympathizers. What's Dave aim to do?"

      "Have to ask him. I wish I had a drink."

      "Not now," said Niland quickly. "By the Lord, this thing either goes off right, or it'll be the worst mess ever come to pass. Frankly, I'm nervous. How does he figure to hold twenty or more men just outside of Sundown all of tonight and most of tomorrow without being seen? That's just the kind of a situation Redmain loves."

      "I know. What time is it?"

      Niland looked at his watch. "Four-thirty."

      Steve let out an enormous breath. "Great guns—"

      Both of them drew up by the hotel. A rider came in slowly.

      "Limerick Lane," muttered Steve. "And he either knows somethin' we ought to know, or we know somethin' he ought."

      "I'm going back to the office. Shouldn't be herdin' up like this. See you later."

      Niland turned away. Limerick edged his horse toward the sidewalk and looked down at Steve.

      "Got a match?"

      Steve supplied it. Limerick lighted his cigarette and tossed the match away with an easy glance all around the street. "What you know these days, Steve?"

      "That ain't the question," grunted Steve. "I know what you know, up to noon today. What comes next?"

      Limerick grinned cheerfully for the benefit of the world, but his quiet words expressed trouble. "That's it. I thought you was in this. I ain't got in touch with Bonnet for two days. I found somethin' a few hours back, and I'm afraid to take the risk of ridin' over to the ranch and bein' traced. I ain't supposed to belong to D Slash any more. Those hard nuts have got the country speckled with eyes. What'm I goin' to do?"

      The street darkened unaccountably; Limerick's body grew gray. Steve looked up to a sky filling with black; a far-off clap of thunder sent its running warning across the heavens.

      "What's your information?" inquired Steve, more and more uneasy.

      "Just about two hours ago I cut across an old worn-out trail north of here. A whole slew of tracks on it, warm enough to cook eggs. I think it was Redmain, borin' for the south at a fast clip. Understand? South is D Slash, Nightingale's, Steele's, Leverage's. Hell, south might be anything."

      "Listen," said Steve earnestly, "you ease out of here slow and put the prod after you get into the trees. Dave ought to know that. He's figgered Redmain different."

      "I was told not to go back there," mused Limerick. "I was told to stick here and pass word to any D Slash man I saw."

      "Never mind—you go. And don't let any dust settle on yuh, Limerick. Denver will be on his way here in another hour!"

      Limerick considered it, forgetting to smile. "I suppose," he muttered. "Well, I'll have to get a drink and make a stab at lookin' lazy for