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Updated: April 30, 2025
"You know," he resumed, addressing them all, his eyes twinkling as his gaze met Dunlavey's, "that the law is an expensive institution. It is a fundamental principle at least of some governments," he smiled "that a community that desires the law must pay, and pay dearly for it. In short, if it wants the law it must pay taxes.
Or what is more to the point, a representative of the Law is here. 'I am the Law," he quoted, ironically. "But my hands are tied; this court is a mere travesty upon justice. The government at Washington has seen fit to send me here alone. I can't go out and get evidence; I couldn't secure a conviction if I did. The people here who are not Dunlavey's friends were afraid of him. I can't get a jury.
Hollis had told Norton of his experiences on the night of the storm. After the flash of lightning had revealed Dunlavey and his men, Hollis had attempted to escape, knowing that Dunlavey's intentions could not be peaceable, and that he would have no chance in a fight with several men.
That they did not showed that they must have some peculiar motive. Aside from a perfectly natural desire on Dunlavey's part to deal to Hollis the same sort of punishment that Hollis had inflicted on Dunlavey on the occasion of their first meeting, the latter could have no motive other than that of preventing the appearance of the Kicker on its regular publication day.
"You are right now," he assured him; "there has been no harm done." Standing, the young man favored Hollis with a careful inspection. He flushed again. "You're the man that rode through the draw," he said. "I saw you and thought you were one of Dunlavey's men. I shot at you once, and was going to shoot again, but something cracked in my head. I hope I didn't hit you."
He looked again at the hand and then suddenly dove forward to Hollis's side, seized his right hand, peered at the knuckles and held the hand triumphantly aloft. "I reckon this is where I got it!" he grinned. Hollis looked ruefully down at his knuckles. The skin was gashed evidently where it had come in contact with a bone in either Dunlavey's or Yuma's jaw.
"Your father returned home, discouraged but not beaten. He approached the several other small owners in the vicinity, asking for co-operation and assistance. Fearful of Dunlavey's wrath, the small owners refused to organize. But your father decided to carry on the fight alone.
"You have quite recovered," she said; "except for that slight scar under the eye you are the same as before the meeting with Dunlavey's men." He looked beyond her at the tawny mountains that rose in the distance, miles on the other side of the big basin swimming in the shimmering blur of white sky somber guardians of a mysterious world. What secret did they guard?
His maneuver had dissipated Dunlavey's strength and it was plain to be seen that a majority of the votes cast were for him. If nothing unusual or unexpected happened within the next hour, or until nine o'clock, the hour named in Watkins's proclamation for the closing of the polls, he was assured of victory. Thoughts of the same character were passing through Hollis's mind.
"Whatever he means, Watkins, he's my friend an' you ain't runnin' in no cold lead proposition on him." He smiled mirthlessly. Watkins's face paled; his right hand fell away from the pistol holster. There was a sound at the door; it swung suddenly open and Dunlavey's gigantic frame loomed massively in the opening.
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