The Sheriff of Badger: A Tale of the Southwest BorderlandPattullo, George
General
The Sheriff of Badger: A Tale of the Southwest Borderland
Pattullo, George
Sheriffs -- Fiction; Western stories
Bartender.--It was ten o'clock. There was nobody in the bar except Dan
Boone--he was playing solitaire in the far corner--and Jeff Thomas, and
a fat party unknown to him. The fat party had come in with the sheriff
and sat over against the window. Jeff was alone and was monkeying with
his fingers on the table--sort of playing tunes. He, the bartender, was
reading a letter from a lady who lived in Silver City--a right nice,
respectable lady--when Bud came in on the jump. He yelled something at
Jeff and they took to shooting. That's all he saw, because he hid behind
the beer-keg immediately. Yes, he had heard shots. Four, he thought, but
he could not be sure. The bartender rubbed his bald spot and added that
there seemed to be five, but he would not swear to that--they came so
fast.
Daniel Boone.--He had seen nothing at all, but had heard shots. No, he
could not say how many. Then, when the sheriff came back, he saw Bud
Walton lying dead and Jeff standing over him, a little to one side.
Myself.--A boy had summoned the sheriff to the express office while he
and I were seated in the Fashion, playing dominoes. Soon afterwards a
man entered quickly--yes, it was the man whose body lay upstairs--and
yelled at Thomas that he had got him now. Thomas was alone at a table
in the center of the room. He was strumming with his fingers on the
table. The visitor fired first; then there was another shot, and he
dropped to the floor. After he fell, Thomas shot twice. He missed him
both times.
Tommy Turner.--Bud Walton had sent him with a message to the sheriff in
the Fashion. The message was that Lafe was wanted at the express office
right away.
Thereupon the coroner requested the survivor for his version of the
fight.
Jeff Thomas.--He was waiting in the Fashion for one of the Lazy L boys
to come along. They had a horse trade on. Bud Walton appeared at the
door. He pulled a gun on him. Bud got the first shot in--he was positive
of that. He fired once and Walton went down. Not being certain Bud was
really done for, he pulled a couple of times more, but thought he had
missed.
Yes, they had long been enemies. Walton was always abusing him behind
his back. He had made threats. Some of his friends had strung up Tom
Rooker, too. Tom wouldn't never harm a fly in his life. Only the day
before, Bud had told some men Jeff knew, that he would get Thomas within
forty-eight hours. So witness had asked for a permit to carry a gun. Mr.
Turner knew about this. He had given the permit.
The coroner.--"Did you expect him last night?"
Thomas hesitated perceptibly. "Yes, I did," he said.
"What made you?"
"Somebody tipped me off he might be coming. I'd rather not say who it
was."
Coroner.--"Where did Walton's shot go?"
"Here," said the prisoner.
He fished in his pocket and drew out a Bible. The crowd craned their
necks and swayed toward it eagerly.
"Why, that's mine," the coroner said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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