Part 37

" `She died five years ago,' says he.

"Skipping over the most of what followed--when Luke came back I turned the kid over to him. He had seen Scudder and told him what he wanted; and it seems that Scudder got active with one of these telephones as soon as he left. For in about an hour afterwards there comes to our hotel some of these city rangers in everyday clothes that they call detectives, and marches the whole outfit of us to what they call a magistrate's court. They accuse Luke of attempted kidnapping, and ask him what he has to say.

" `This snipe,' says Luke to the judge, `shot and willfully punctured with malice and forethought one of the most respected and prominent citizens of the town of Bildad, Texas, Your Honor. And in so doing laid himself liable to the penitence of law and order. And I hereby make claim and demand restitution of the State of New York City for the said alleged criminal; and I know he done it.'

" `Have you the usual and necessary requisition papers from the governor of your state?' asks the judge.

" `My usual papers,' says Luke, `was taken away from me at the hotel by these gentlemen who represent law and order in your city. They was two Colt's .45's that I've packed for nine years; and if I don't get 'em back, there'll be more trouble. You can ask anybody in Mojada County about Luke Summers. I don't usually need any other kind of papers for what I do.'

"I see the judge looks mad, so I steps up and says:

" `Your Honor, the aforesaid defendant, Mr. Luke Summers, sheriff of Mojada County, Texas, is as fine a man as ever threw a rope or upheld the statutes and codicils of the greatest state in the Union. But he----'

"The judge hits his table with a wooden hammer and asks who I am.

" `Bud Oakley,' says I. `Office deputy of the sheriff's office of Mojada County, Texas. Representing,' says I, `the Law. Luke Summers,' I goes on, `represents Order. And if Your Honor will give me about ten minutes in private talk, I'll explain the whole thing to you, and show you the equitable and legal requisition papers which I carry in my pocket.'

"The judge kind of half smiles and says he will talk with me in his private room. In there I put the whole thing up to him in such language as I had, and when we goes outside, he announces the verdict that the young man is delivered into the hands of the Texas authorities; and calls the next case.

"Skipping over much of what happened on the way back, I'll tell you how the thing wound up in Bildad.

"When we got the prisoner in the sheriff's office, I says to Luke:

" `You remember that kid of yours--that two-year-old that they stole away from you when the bust-up come?'

"Luke looks black and angry. He'd never let anybody talk to him about that business, and he never mentioned it himself.

" `Toe the mark,' says I. `Do you remember when he was toddling around on the porch and fell down on a pair of Mexican spurs and cut four little holes over his right eye? Look at the prisoner,' says I, `look at his nose and the shape of his head and--why, you old fool, don't you know your own son?--I knew him,' says I, `when he perforated Mr. Johnson at the depot.'

"Luke comes over to me shaking all over. I never saw him lose his nerve before.

" `Bud,' says he, `I've never had that boy out of my mind one day or one night since he was took away. But I never let on. But can we hold him?--Can we make him stay?--I'll make the best man of him that ever put his foot in a stirrup. Wait a minute,' says he, all excited and out of his mind--`I've got something here in my desk--I reckon it'll hold legal yet--I've looked at it a thousand times--"Cus-to-dy of the child," says Luke--"Cus-to-dy of the child." We can hold him on that, can't we? Le'me see if I can find that decree.'

"Luke begins to tear his desk to pieces.

" `Hold on,' says I. `You are Order and I'm Law. You needn't look for that paper, Luke. It ain't a decree any more. It's requisition papers. It's on file in that Magistrate's office in New York. I took it along when we went, because I was office deputy and knew the law.'

" `I've got him back,' says Luke. `He's mine again. I never thought----'

" `Wait a minute,' says I. `We've got to have law and order. You and me have got to preserve 'em both in Mojada County according to our oath and conscience. The kid shot Pedro Johnson, one of Bildad's most prominent and----"

" `Oh, hell!' says Luke. `That don't amount to anything. That fellow was half Mexican, anyhow.' "

----IN A FAR TOWNSHIP

By SARAH N. CLEGHORN

His roundabout of bottle-green, And pantaloons of fine nankeen Were Sunday best; the month was May, And this from school a holiday; But he had none with whom to play, And wandered wistful,up and down, All in a strange old Garden, And in a strange old Town.

An ancient chaise, a Dobbin gray Had brought him here to spend the day. Now his old aunt and uncle drowse; No chick nor child is in the house-- No cat, no dog, no bird, or mouse; No fairy picture-book to spell, No music-box of wonder, Nor magic whispering-shell.

Unending is this afternoon, And strange this landscape as the moon, With home a thousand miles away-- The pasture where his brothers play With whoop and shout, in Indian fray; The porch where, even at this hour, His mother prunes the vine and flower, And hums the nursery melody, "I saw a ship a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea."

***************************************************************** VOL. XXIII September 1910 NO. 3