Wyoming Slaughter Read Free Page B

foliage of his beard. “You’re a fine fellow, Sheriff, but a tad young and inexperienced. If you had a little more schooling, and a little more sophistication, you’d see that this is a bad idea. You are a peace officer. Your primary task is to keep the peace, prevent bloodshed, prevent violence.”
    â€œI thought it was to uphold the law without favor.”
    â€œThat, too, young man, but the law has a little give in it, and you need to be judicious in the ways you apply it.”
    â€œWell, you’re stuck. I’m swearing you into my posse, and you’ll be there at my office ahead of midnight.”
    â€œHell will freeze over first, Pickens.”
    That was pretty entertaining. I thought maybe I’d recruit the mayor of Doubtful, George Waller. He’d be a good man to have on the midnight posse. Waller ran a dry goods store and built caskets on the side, so I headed for the woodworking shop. Sure enough, there was the mayor, screwing brass hinges into the lid of a fancy rosewood coffin.
    â€œI don’t know why you’re here, Pickens, but you’re up to no good and the answer is no.”
    â€œMerry Christmas, George,” I replied. “You building that for somebody?”
    â€œLet’s hope it’s not you,” the mayor replied, screwing down the lid.
    â€œI reckon I got me a mess New Year’s Eve.”
    â€œYour mess, not my mess.”
    â€œYou in favor of going dry in Puma County?”
    â€œDon’t pin me down, Sheriff. I refuse to be pinned down. There’s virtues in it, and there’s vices in it. The town might lose some business, but the town might gain some peace.”
    â€œThat’s all I need. I’m swearing you in for my posse. It’ll take about twenty good men armed with shotguns and bird shot to close down all them thirst parlors. They’re getting a little hot about it and saying they won’t close, so we’re just going to go ahead and enforce the new law. Now, George, lift that right paw and I’ll swear you in, and then you show up armed at my office an hour before the new year starts.”
    â€œJumping Jehoshaphat,” Waller said. “Ain’t you the card.”
    â€œRaise that paw, George. I got the right to put any man I want into a posse.”
    â€œI’m the mayor, and I’m proclaiming that Doubtful will stay wet until dawn, law or no law. That suit you?”
    â€œRaise that paw and swear in, George.”
    â€œI’m not going to show up, so forget it.”
    â€œGuess my two cells are gonna get themselves to overflowing New Year’s Eve.”
    Waller looked up from his coffin. “Over my dead body,” he said.

C HAPTER T HREE
    It sure was annoying. All the gents who were making Puma County dry didn’t want to help out when it came to enforcing the new law. I tried two or three more, like the banker Hubert Sanders, Doc Harrison, and George Maxwell, who ran the funeral parlor, and they just weaseled out.
    â€œI’m not letting you off the hook,” I said to Sanders. “I got the power to deputize you and put you in the posse, and I’m doing it. You show up at eleven, New Year’s Eve.”
    â€œTut tut, young fellow. I’m sure if you’d study on it, you’d find that your task is to keep the peace and that law enforcement requires a degree of moderation. If you cause trouble, there’ll be widows made, and grief, and sorrow in Doubtful.”
    â€œI’m not the one causing trouble! Them saloon men told me they won’t obey the law, and they’ll fight.”
    Sanders peered steadily through his wire-framed half-glasses. “Moderation, my boy. That’s how to win the day. One little step at a time. You’ll do fine if you just close one saloon at a time. Just put one out of business once in a while, and next you know, Puma County will be dry and clean and upright. So what if it takes a few months?