The Washington herald., 1920-06-13

order meant what they said. A
law was a law, and a order was
q order"
But" began.
"I was going on continued
Bud. while this coffee Is boiling,
to describe to you a case of genu-
inc law and order that knew once
in the times when cases was de-
cided in the chambers of six
shooter instead of a Supreme
Court.
you've heard of old Ben Kirk
man, the cattle king? His raucn
run from the Nueces to the Rio
Grande. In those days, as you know,
there was cattle barons and Cattle
kings. The difference was this:
When a cattleman went to San
Antoine and bought beer for the
newspaper reporters and only give
them the number of cattle he ac-
tually owned, they wrote him up
for a baron. When he bought 'em
champagne wine and added in the
amount of cattle he had stole, they
called him a. king.
Luke Summers was one OF his
range bosses. And down to the
kings ranch comes one day a
bunch of these Oriental people
from New York or Kansas City or
thereabouts. Luke was detailed
with a squad to ride about with
'em, and see that the rattlesnakes
got fair warning when they was
coming, and drive the deer out OF
their way. Among the bunch was
a black eyed girl that wore a
number two shoe. That's all
noticed about her. But Luke must
have seen more. for he married
her one day before the caballard
started back, and went over on
Canada Verde and set up ranch
of his own. I'm skipping over the
sentimental stuff on purpose, be-
cause l never saw or wanted to
see any of it. And Luke takes me
along with him because we were
old friends and handled cattle to
suit him.
I'm skipping over much what
followed. because l never saw or
wanted to see any of it-but three
years afterward there was a boy
kid stumbling and blubbering
around the galleries and floors OF
Luke's ranch. / never had no
use for kids; but ii seems they
did. And I'm skipping oyer much
what followed until one day out
to the ranch drives in hacks and
buckboards lot of Mrs. Sum-
mers' friends from the East-a sis
ter or so and two or three men.
One looked like an uncle to some
body; and one looked like moth
ing: and the other one had on
corkscrew pants and spoke in a
tone of voice. / never liked a man
who spoke in a tone of voice.
I'm skipping over much what
followed; but one afternoon when
/ rides up to the ranch house to
get some orders about a drove OF
beeves that was to be shipped, l
hears something like a popgun go
Off / waits at the hitching rack,
not wishing to intrude on private
affairs. In a little while Luke
comes out and gives some orders
to some of his Mexican hands, and
they go and hitch up sundry and
divers vehicles; and mighty soon
out comes one of the sisters or so
and some of the two or three men.
But two of the two or three men
carries between 'em the corkscrew
man who spoke in a tone of voice.
and lays him fiat down in one or
the wagons. And they all might
have been seen vending their way
away.
Bud says Luke to me. I
want you TO fix up a little and
go up TO San Antoine with me-
Let me get on my Mexican
spurs says I, and I'm your
company
"One of the sisters or so seems
to have stayed at the ranch with
Mrs. Summers and the kid. We
rides to Encinal and catches
the International. and hits San
Antoine in the morning. Af-
ter breakfast Luke steers me
straight to the office of a law
yer. They go in a room and talk
and then come out.
"'Oh. there won't be any trou-
BILE, Mr.. Summers says the law
yer. I'll acquaint Judge Sim
mons with the facts today; and
the matter will be put through
as promptly as possible. Law
and order reigns in this State as
swift and sure as any in the
country
I'll wait for the decree IL II