The Coolidge examiner., 1931-03-13

Hes already gathered, the
sheriff said quietly.
The look of blank surprise on
the faces about O'Hara gave place
to amazement. There was a chorus
of exclamatiOns.
How gathered?" asked McCar-
thy.
Arrested"
you mean you've got Bob
Quantrell under arrest?"
That's what | mean"
AN he didn't kill you? Nor you
him?" Badly Brown asked.
Nothing like that"
didn't put up any kind of
fght?"
1--WE got him to see reason"
"Where's he at now?"
Being guarded by Steve Worral
at the COncho house"
well, I'll be teetotally dog
goned !'
How did you arrest him?" Amen
asked.
"Oh, just explained he was un-
der arrest. We found him outside
the Gomez house Need any help.
PankeyT"
81 can m-make out to get along"
The little outlaw looked at the
sheriff with reluctant admiration.
81 n-never saw the b-beat of you.
O'Hara. You look about as dan
gerous as a b-brush rabbit, but you
certainly take the watch. When
you hit this country you didn't
know s-sic' 'em, but you sure lit all
spraddled out. | got to say you're
a top hand"
offer of assistance O'Hara slipped
a hand under the uninjured arm of
the outlaw. He did not want to
have him shot down while trying TO
escape in the darkness. 1t was not
likely the lame man would be so
foolish, but one never could tell.
Inside of half an hour every road
out of town was guarded. Men
watched the trails that wound over
the hills. The houses of suspected
MeXicans, those known to be friend
Iy to the rustlers, were searched
by posse of deputies sworn In for
the occasion. But no sign of either
Deever or SOmmers was found.
They had not got away on horse
back. for no horses were missing.
O'Hara, Owen, and WOrrall decided
that they had probably slipped
away Immediately after the fracas
and were hiding in the chaparral.
The one sure thing was that they
would try TO raid some ranch for
mounts upon which to escape.
O'Hara could not leave Concho
for a few days on account of official
business. Judge Warner was hold
ing court and it was necessary for
him to be present
The sheriff knew that Bob Guam
trell was slippery as a weasel and
dangerous as a wolf. Every mo-
ment he had to be watched. Give
him chance and he would find
some way TO escape. Therefore
O'Hara chose his guards with great
care. He selected three: Steve
WOrrall, Amen Owen, and Buck
GrOgan. They were to divide the
day and night into relay periods.
The first two men he picked be-
cause they were the best available.
Grogan was slower witted, and
O'Hara hesitated about appointing
him. But the man could be relied
on not to relax his vigilance. He
hated Quantrell too much to give
him any opportunity of getting
away.
The instructions given by O'Hara
to his deputies were definite. He
warned them, too, against letting
the prisoner for single instant get
his hand near a weapon.
Owen nodded approval. do like
the boss says, boys. If Bob ever
gets half a chance you're gone.
He's wonder with a SiX-shooter.
I've seen men with as quick a pull
as Bob's. They claim Jesse James
was chain lightnin' on the draw, an
| know Ben Thompson was for I've
seen him. Others I've known with
as rapid fire, an still others as ac-
curate. Maybe more so. Take
Wild Biz. He was more deliberate
in gettin' his guns into action. Fact
is, he was so kinda easy about it
he looked slow, but, gents, hush
when he Onct started nobody could
pump lead faster or straighter. He
sure was wonder. But this Kid
Quantrell-take it from me that no
man ever lived who had the edge
on him in combination quick pull,
rapid fire, an straight shootin'.
I'm talkin' about a "A or As. you
understand. | can name a dozen
fellows in town can beat him with
a rife"
'The long an short of which is
that if any of us throws down on
his job he's liable to go to the
Happy Huntin' Ground pronto,"
Worrall said. "Speakin' for Num-
ber One, I'll say | think too much
of myself to get careless"
O'Hara had further doubts as to
the wisdom of his choice of Buck
GrOgan when he saw the man with
the prisoner. The bOw-legged cow
boy could not keep from gloating
over Quantrell.
"Not long now," he jeered.
We're gonna try you down at Au-
rOra for KILN that kid Turner at
the Indian agency, an then we'll
hang you by the neck till you're
dead. This country's plumb tired
of two-gun men who go struttin'
around with nOtches on their six