Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE TRAIL HORDE. You know it. Everybody knows it—and everybody wants you. That is, everybody except Haughton, Hatfield, Warden—and that bunch—including the railroad com- pany. “ Why, look here, Lawler!” he went on, when Lawler did not answer; “the fight you made last fall against the railroad company was made, with variations, by all the courageous cattlemen in the State. _If a strong man isn’t elected this fall the same fight will have to be made again. Haughton is so rotten that people are be- ginning to hold their noses! “The people of this State trust you, Lawler—they swear by you. You’ve got to run—there’s no way out of it!” He looked keenly at Lawler. ‘“‘ Man, do you know what McGregor told me the day be- fore he left the capital to come down here and look you over to see how badly you. were hurt? He said: ‘ Metcalf, if Lawler dies we lose the Governorship next fall. He is the only man who can beat Haugh- ton!’ ” “ Metcalf,” smiled Lawler, “ I'll tell you a secret—your argument has had no effect upon me. I decided this thing as far back as the day following the last election. I am going to run.” - “ Then we’ve got Haughton licked!” de- clared Metcalf enthusiastically. Metcalf stayed at the Circle L through- out the day, and in the evening Lawler rode with him to Willets, where he saw him aboard the westbound train. | “Tm telling you something, Lawler,” grinned the newspaperman as he gripped Lawler’s hand just before the train start- ed: “ McGregor came to me yesterday. He told me he intended to come to see you, but he was afraid you’d refuse to run. He asked me if I had any influence with you, and I told him you’d do anything I sug- gested. “Now, don’t get excited, Lawler,” he laughed as Lawler looked sharply at him. “ I’ve proved it, haven’t I? You’ve agreed to run! Lord, man, I’d hate to be an evil- doer and have you.look at me like that!” He laughed again, exultantly. ‘ What was it you said to Warden one day, when Warden refused to keep that agreement 93 you made with Lefingwell? Oh, don’t look at me that way — that conversation has been printed all over the State. I saw to that. How did I hear of it? Somebody must have talked, Lawler. It wasn’t you. You remember what you told Warden? It was this: © "4 “*T’'m telling you this, though: a man’s word in this country has got to be backed by his performances—and he’s got to have memory enough to know when he gives his word!’ “You’ve given yours, Lawler; and you can’t back out. McGregor will be waiting for me in the capital. And when [ tell him that I have persuaded you to run, he’ll fall on my neck and weep tears of joy. Then he’ll hire a special train and run down here to fall on your neck!” McGregor came the next day. And he took Lawler back to the capital with him. Lawler stayed in the capital for a week, and when he returned he went directly to the Circle L. . No word came from him to Willets dur- ing the summer. He did not appear in tawn, though Wilets heard that the new Circle L ranchhouse had at last been com- pleted, and that Lawler was living in it. Also the Circle L outfit had been recruited to full strength; Blackburn was occupying the new cabin. When Corwin, who was chairman of the county committee, sent out a call for the county primary convention, which conven- tion was also to choose delegates to the State convention, to be held later, Lawler did not appear. He sent a note to Corwin, asking to be excused. “IT reckon he ain’t entirely over that wound,” Corwin told an intimate friend. “We'll have to get along without him, this time.” But there was a light in Corwin’s eyes which told that he was not unaware of the significance of Lawler’s trip to the capital with McGregor. There came a day when Corwin and his brother delegates got on a train at Willets and were taken to the capital. And there came another day when they returned. They brought a brass band with them; and Willets closed its doors and went out into the street—and crowded the station mero (MICLOOO S CO