The Coolidge examiner., 1931-02-27

| lean bale tonight at the MOnteZ
place. If you're all het up to meet
Bob you might find him among
those present"
What makes you think that?"
asked O'Hara.
You mightn't think it to see me
| such StOye-up old dOnker as | am
now, but once upon a time | was q
Kid my own self. AS | come down
fhe street | met the Gomez family
dressed in their war paint headed
for the dance. Includin' Miss Do
lores of the black, black eyes. She
sure is a right pretty senorita an
| wouldn't blame Bob for wantin'
to shake a leg with her. Course
don't say he'll be there. All I'm
sayin' is that he might"
so he might" agreed the sheriff
reilectively. "Well, I'm not too old
TO enjoy a dance. I'll give myself
an invitation to be there, too"
Amen Owen grinned. He thought
perhaps he had started something.
"Uninvited guests amt always so
doggOned welcome" the old cowboy
said. IF you go you're liable to
get in a jackpot, don't you reckon?"
1T wouldn't surprise me-"
Bob is top hand with his shOOtin'
irons. I'd say take four or five of
us with you"
O'Hara cut a piece of cheese and
put it between two crackers. Cant
take a posse into the barn with
me. That would mean trouble
right away if Bob was there, and
can't risk promiscuous shooting
with a lot of women present If
Bob wasn't there, word would reach
him in. ten minutes that we were
hot on his trail. No. I'll leave two
or three of you outside and go in
alone. I'll take you and Grogan
and Baldy Brown. Worrall and Nc.
Carthy and Jess Brown will watch
the 'Delgado stable to cut Quantrell
off from the horses if he tries for
a getaway"
rs ii yOre notion that there won't
be trouble soon as Bob sees your"
asked owen with obvious sarcasm.
Guess different. When you 90 in
there right then you're playin' yore
hole cardiff Bob is at the baile.
Now if | kinda drifted in maybe
he'd let it ride. Far as we know,
he amt hep to it that | rode on
the posse to the Nal Pals. Quien
sabe?"
Dollars to doughnuts that he
knows. You rode into town last
night with Steve, didn't you? If
he's here the info was passed to
him almost before you had un-
saddled. No, it's my place to go
into the barn and see whether he is
there. SO I'll go"
you're cock-a-doodle-do of this
outfit, Garrett. All | got to say is,
look out you don't buck yore luck
onct too often"
"The Lord loves the Irish, Amen"
answered the sheriff, his gay smile
flashing. Far as this curly wolf
goes. he's just a man like you or
me. Don't forget that he has his
weaknesses, just as all criminals
have. One Of BOb's Is his vanity.
He has to make grandstand plays
so that people will fear and admire
him. Some day he'll come a crop
per on account of it. Maybe that
some day is tonight"
limp! Bob amt the only grand
stander in our midst. Right now
I'm close enough to spit on another
guy who is h-l-poppin' team his
own self. Don't tell me you're
against advertisin'. boy. amt
ever noticed that you ride into the
encinal to pull off the plays that
make folks talk"
The sheriff protested. i've been
driven into doing spectacular things
didn't want to do, but | never did
any Of them to make people talk.
Or if | did the reason was not van
ity, but to increase respect for the
law"
Owen shrugged his shoulders.
"Pl backtrack on you being
grandstander, Garrett. You're not
that, an you're there, boy, both
ways from the ace. But that won't
keep you from playin' on a golden
harp if you're so doggened careless.
Some lOw-down cuSs will plug you
one of these days when you walk
up to him with no gun in yore fist
an say, Consider yOreself under
arrest I'm warnin' you"
Maybe you're right and maybe
you're not, Amen" O'Hara rose and
brushed the crumbs from his
clothes. But I've got to play the
hand the way it's dealt. One might
as well be cheerful about it as mel
ancholy. How does that song 90
that Texas Jim sings:
Roll your tail and roll her high,
Well all be angels by and by
limp! I've heard preachers deny
that, but even if so | aim to post
pOne my angeIin' for a while. Well,
let's mOsey along"
Outside of the Montez barn four
or five young Mexicans were
grouped. O'Hara moved forward
out of the darkness and greeted
them casually. He had seen bottle
passing from one to another, but at
sight of him activities became sus-
pended. They were surprised to
see him. This was a private bale;
at least Americans had not been in
vited. If the sheriff attended it
must be in the way of business.
Then on what business? The
MeXicans held together AGAINST the