"You"ll have exactly the same chance to weather this that we will."
A mob of men was moving down the street in loose formation. There was still time for a man to fling himself into the saddle and gallop away.
"You"d rather I"d stay, Billie."
"Yes. I"m sheriff. I"d like to show this drunken outfit they can"t take a prisoner from me."
Clanton gave a little whoop of delight. "Go to it, son. You"re law west of the Pecos. Let"s see you make it stick."
Live-Oaks was as yet the terminus of the railroad. The train backed into the station just as the first of the mob arrived.
"Nothin" doin", Prince," announced Yankie, swaggering forward. "You"re not goin" to take this fellow Clanton away. We"ve come to get him."
"That"s right," agreed Albeen.
Jimmie-Go-Get-"Em grinned. "Makes twice now you"ve come to get me."
"We didn"t make it go last time. Different now," said Banc.o.c.k, moving forward.
"That"s near enough," ordered Prince. "You"ve made a mistake, boys. I"m sheriff of Washington County, and this man"s my prisoner."
"He"s yore old side kick, too, ain"t he?" jeered Yankie.
Goodheart, following the orders he had received, moved forward to the engine and climbed into the cab beside the engineer and fireman. The sheriff and his prisoner backed to the steps of the smoking-car. Billie had had a word with the brakeman, his young friend Bud Proctor, who had at once locked the door at the other end of the smoker.
"Now," said Prince in a low voice.
Jim ran up lightly to the platform of the coach and pa.s.sed inside. A howl of anger rose from the mob. There was a rush forward. Billie was on the lower step. His long leg lifted, the toe caught Yankie on the point of the chin, and the rustler went back head first into the crowd as though he had been shot from a catapult.
Instantly Prince leaped for the platform and whirled on the mob. He held now a gun in each hand. His eyes glittered dangerously as they swept the upturned faces. They carried to every man in the crowd the message that his prisoner could not be taken as long as the sheriff was alive.
Clanton threw open a window of the coach, rested his arms on the sill, and looked out. Again there was a roar of rage and a forward surge of the dense pack on the station platform.
"He ain"t even got irons on the man"s hands!" a voice shouted. "It"s a frame-up to git him away from us!"
"Don"t hide back there in the rear, Roush. Come right up to the front an"
tell me that," called back Prince. "You"re right about one thing. I don"t need to handcuff Clanton. He has surrendered for trial, an" I"m here to see he gets a fair one. I"ll do it if I have to put irons _in_ his hands--shootin" irons."
Jim Clanton, his head framed in the window, laughed insolently. He was a picture of raffish, devil-may-care ease.
"Don"t let Billie bluff you, boys. We can"t b.u.mp off more"n a dozen or so of you. Hop to it."
"You won"t laugh so loud when the rope"s round yore gullet," retorted Albeen.
"That rope ain"t woven, yet," flung back the young fellow coolly.
Even as he spoke a lariat whistled through the air. Jim threw up a hand and the loop slid harmlessly down the side of the car. One of the riders of the Flying V Y had tried to drag the prisoner out with a reata.
"You mean well, but you"ll never win a roping contest, Syd," jeered Clanton. "Good of you an" all my old friends to gather here to see me off, I see you back there, Roush. It"s been some years since we met, an"
me always lookin" for you to say to you a few well-chosen words. I"ll shoot straighter next time."
The vigilantes raised a howl of fury. They were like a wolf pack eager for the kill. Between them and their prey stood one man, cool, indomitable, steady as a rock. He held death in each hand, every man present knew it. They could get Clanton if they were willing to pay the price, but though there were game men in the mob, not one of them wanted to be the first to put his foot on the lower step of the coach.
From the other end of the car came the sudden noise of hammering. Some one had found a sledge in the baggage-room and with a dozen armed men back of him was trying to break down the door.
Prince called to his prisoner. "You"ve got to get in this, Jim. I appoint you deputy sheriff. Unstrap this belt from my waist. Take the other end of the car an" hold it. No shootin" unless it comes to a showdown.
Understand?"
Clanton nodded. His eyes gleamed. "I"ll behave proper, Billie."
Five seconds later the beating on the door stopped. The eyes of the big blacksmith with the hammer popped out with a ludicrous terror. Go-Get-"Em Jim was standing in the aisle grinning at him with a six-gun in each hand. With a wild whoop the horsesh.o.e.r dropped the sledge and turned. He flung himself down the steps carrying with him half a dozen others. Not till he was safe in his own shop two blocks away did he stop running.
A shrill whistle rang out from the side of the train farthest from the station. The wheels began to move slowly. There was a rush for the engine. Jack Goodheart stood in the door of the cab ready for business.
"No pa.s.sengers allowed here, boys," he announced calmly. "Take the coaches in the rear."
A dozen revolvers cracked. There was a rattle of breaking windows. The engine, baggage-car, and smoker moved forward, leaving the rest of the train on the track.
Men, swarming like ants, had climbed to the top of the cars, evidently with some idea of getting at their victim from above. Some of these were on the forward coaches. They began to drop off hurriedly as the station fell to the rear.
The wheels turned faster. Bud Proctor swung aboard and joined the sheriff.
"I cut off the other cars and gave the signal to start," he explained triumphantly.
"Good boy, Bud. Knew I could tie to you," Prince answered with the warm smile that always won him friends.
They pa.s.sed into the car together. Clanton was leaning far out of the window waving a mocking hand of farewell to the crowd on the platform. He drew his head in and handed the weapons back to his friend.
"Don"t I make a good deputy, Billie? I didn"t fire even once."
Chapter XXIX
"They Can"t Hang Me If I ain"t There"
The jury brought in a verdict of murder in the first degree. Clanton was sentenced to be hanged at Live-Oaks four weeks after the day the trial ended. Prince himself had been called back to Washington County to deal with a band of rustlers who had lately pulled off a series of bold, wholesale cattle thefts. He left Goodheart to bring the prisoner back with him in case of a conviction.
The deputy sheriff left the train at Los Vegas, to which point Prince had sent a man with horses to meet Jack and the convicted murderer. It was not likely that the enemies of Clanton would make another attempt to frustrate the law, but there was a chance that they would. Goodheart did not take the direct road to Live-Oaks, but followed the river valley toward Los Portales.
The party reached the Roubideau ranch at dusk of the third night. Pauline had been at the place three months keeping house for her father. She flew to meet Jim, her eyes filled with a divine pity. Both hands went out to his manacled ones impulsively. Her face glowed with a soft, welcoming warmth.
"You poor boy! You poor, poor boy!" she cried. Then, flaming, she turned on Goodheart: "Bel et bien! Why do you load him down with chains? Are you afraid of him?"
The deputy flushed. "I have no right to take any chances of an escape.
You know that."