The Sheriff of Pecos
BY
H. BEDFORD-JONES
GARDEN CITY NEW YORK
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
1923
COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION
INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN
COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY STREET & SMITH CORPORATION
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES
AT
THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.
First Edition
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. Jack Robinson
II. Exit Matt Brady
III. Robinson’s Partner
IV. Buck Lays Plans
V. Buck’s Lucky Day
VI. Proof
VII. Masks Off
VIII. Exit Mr. P. Brady
IX. Fisher Rides North
X. The Last Stake
XI. The Trap Is Sprung
XII. The Clean-Up
XIII. Finis
THE SHERIFF OF PECOS
CHAPTER I
JACK ROBINSON
Besides “Galway” Mike, who was reading thePahrump County News behind the bar, therewere three men in Mike’s Place. One of the threewas a stranger. He sat drowsily at the cornertable, hat pulled over his eyes, whisky untasted.The other two stood at the bar.
The tall, dangerous man who had a rattler skinabout his white Stetson was speaking:
“It’s like this, Murphy. Right after the oldman died, young Shumway went to the pen. Hewas caught dead to rights with a runnin’ iron, y’understand——”
“So I heard.” The large, red-faced man chuckled.“So I heard, Buck.”
Buck grunted. “Well, Frank Shumway went tothe pen; I was sorry, too——”
“Oh, sure!” commented Murphy sarcastically.“Made you weep a lot, huh?”
“Shut your blamed mouth!” retorted Buck, acidin his voice. “Here’s the point: Young Shumwayhad mortgaged the hull place to some cussed bankover in Laredo County—some bank the ol’ man hadknowed. Well, he give Estella the money, y’understand, and went to the pen. Estella, she’s runthe place since, but it ain’t paid her.”
“She’s his sister, eh?” Mr. Murphy’s red,aggressive features spread into a greasy grin. “Well,I reckon it ain’t paid her, with you fer a neighbor!But go on, go on.”
“Don’t let your brain git too agile, Murphy,”said Buck, tossing down his whisky and pouringanother drink. “The place has run down. All she’sgot there now is Miguel Cervantes and his woman,helpin’ her. Not a head o’ stock left.”
“You done well, then,” put in Murphy, who stoodin no awe of his companion evidently. “You suredone well! Ol’ Shumway had a powerful lot o’cattle. Least, he had when I was down here, timethe boy got c