the outlet-第30部分

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ur　supplies；　after　the　herd　passed；　we　remounted　our　horses；　Flood　joining　us；　and　rode　for　the　hamlet。

There　was　little　external　and　no　moral　change　in　the　town。　Several　new　saloons　had　opened；　and　in　anticipation　of　the　large　drive　that　year；　the　Dew…Drop…In　dance…hall　had　been　enlarged；　and　employed　three　shifts　of　bartenders。　A　stage　had　been　added　with　the　new　addition；　and　a　special　importation　of　ladies　had　been　brought　out　from　Omaha　for　the　season。　I　use　the　term　LADIES　advisedly；　for　in　my　presence　one　of　the　proprietors；　with　marked　courtesy；　said　to　an　Eastern　stranger；　〃Oh；　no；　you　need　no　introduction。　My　wife　is　the　only　woman　in　town；　all　the　balance　are　ladies。〃　Beyond　a　shave　and　a　hair…cut；　Forrest　and　I　fought　shy　of　public　places。　But　after　the　supplies　were　settled　for；　and　some　new　clothing　was　seen　red；　we　chambered　a　few　drinks　and　swaggered　about　with　considerable　ado。　My　bill　of　supplies　amounted　to　one　hundred　and　twenty…six　dollars；　and　when；　without　a　word；　I　drew　a　draft　for　the　amount；　the　proprietor　of　the　outfitting　store；　as　a　pelon；　made　me　a　present　of　two　fine　silk　handkerchiefs。

Forrest　was　treated　likewise；　and　having　invested　ourselves　in　white　shirts；　with　flaming　red　ties；　we　used　the　new　handkerchiefs　to　otherwise　decorate　our　persons。　We　had　both　chosen　the　brightest　colors；　and　with　these　knotted　about　our　necks；　dangling　from　pistol…pockets；　or　protruding　from　ruffled　shirt　fronts；　our　own　mothers　would　scarcely　have　known　us。　Jim　Flood；　whom　we　met　casually　on　a　back　street；　stopped；　and　after　circling　us　once；　said；　〃Now　if　you　fellows　just　keep　perfectly　sober；　your　disguise　will　be　complete。〃

Meanwhile　Don　Lovell　had　reported　at　an　early　hour　to　the　sheriff's　office。　The　legal　profession　was　represented　in　Ogalalla　by　several　firms；　criminal　practice　being　their　specialty；　but　fortunately　Mike　Sutton；　an　attorney　of　Dodge；　had　arrived　in　town　the　day　before　on　a　legal　errand　for　another　trail　drover。　Sutton　was　a　frontier　advocate；　alike　popular　with　the　Texas　element　and　the　gambling　fraternity；　having　achieved　laurels　in　his　home　town　as　a　criminal　lawyer。　Mike　was　born　on　the　little　green　isle　beyond　the　sea；　and；　gifted　with　the　Celtic　wit；　was　also　in　logic　clear　as　the　tones　of　a　bell；　while　his　insight　into　human　motives　was　almost　superhuman。　Lovell　had　had　occasion　in　other　years　to　rely　on　Sutton's　counsel；　and　now　would　listen　to　no　refusal　of　his　services。　As　it　turned　out；　the　lawyer's　mission　in　Ogalalla　was　so　closely　in　sympathy　with　Lovell's　trouble　that　they　naturally　strengthened　each　other。　The　highest　tribunal　of　justice　in　Ogalalla　was　the　county　court；　the　judge　of　which　also　ran　the　stock…yards　during　the　shipping　season；　and　was　banker　for　two　monte　games　at　the　Lone　Star　saloon。　He　enjoyed　the　reputation　of　being　an　honest；　fearless　jurist；　and　supported　by　a　growing　civic　pride；　his　decisions　gave　satisfaction。　A　sense　of　crude　equity　governed　his　rulings；　and　as　one　of　the　citizens　remarked；　〃Whatever　the　judge　said；　went。〃　It　should　be　remembered　that　this　was　in　'84；　but　had　a　similar　trouble　occurred　five　years　earlier；　it　is　likely　that　Judge　Colt　would　have　figured　in　the　preliminaries；　and　the　coroner　might　have　been　called　on　to　inpanel　a　jury。　But　the　rudiments　of　civilization　were　sweeping　westward；　and　Ogalalla　was　nerved　to　the　importance　of　the　occasion；　for　that　very　afternoon　a　hearing　was　to　be　given　for　the　possession　of　two　herds　of　cattle；　valued　at　over　a　quarter…million　dollars。

The　representatives　of　The　Western　Supply　Company　were　quartered　in　the　largest　hotel　in　town；　but　seldom　appeared　on　the　streets。　They　had　employed　a　firm　of　local　attorneys；　consisting　of　an　old　and　a　young　man；　both　of　whom　evidently　believed　in　the　justice　of　their　client's　cause。　All　the　cattle…hands　in　Lovell's　employ　were　anxious　to　get　a　glimpse　of　Tolleston；　many　of　them　patronizing　the　bar　and　table　of　the　same　hostelry；　but　their　efforts　were　futile　until　the　hour　arrived　for　the　hearing。　They　probably　have　a　new　court…house　in　Ogalalla　now；　but　at　the　date　of　this　chronicle　the　building　which　served　as　a　temple　of　justice　was　poorly　proportioned；　its　height　being　entirely　out　of　relation　to　its　width。　It　was　a　two…story　affair；　the　lower　floor　being　used　for　county　offices；　the　upper　one　as　the　court…room。　A　long　stairway　ran　up　the　outside　of　the　building；　landing　on　a　gallery　in　front；　from　which　the　sheriff　announced　the　sitting　of　the　honorable　court　of　Keith　County。　At　home　in　Texas；　lawsuits　were　so　rare　that　though　I　was　a　grown　man；　the　novelty　of　this　one　absorbed　me。　Quite　a　large　crowd　had　gathered　in　advance　of　the　hour；　and　while　awaiting　the　arrival　of　Judge　Mulqueen；　a　contingent　of　fifteen　men　from　the　two　herds　in　question　rode　up　and　halted　in　front　of　the　court…house。　Forrest　and　I　were　lying　low；　not　caring　to　be　seen；　when　the　three　plaintiffs；　the　two　local　attorneys；　and　Tolleston　put　in　an　appearance。　The　cavalcade　had　not　yet　dismounted；　and　when　Dorg　Seay　caught　sight　of　Tolleston；　he　stood　up　in　his　stirrups　and　sang　out；　〃Hello　there；　Archibald！　my　old　college　chum；　how　goes　it？〃

Judge　Mulqueen　had　evidently　dressed　for　the　occasion；　for　with　the　exception　of　the　plaintiffs；　he　was　the　only　man　in　the　court…room　who　wore　a　coat。　The　afternoon　was　a　sultry　one；　in　that　first　bottom　of　the　Platte　there　was　scarcely　a　breath　of　air；　and　collars　wilted　limp　as　rags。　Neither　map　nor　chart　graced　the　unplastered　walls；　the　unpainted　furniture　of　the　room　was　sadly　in　need　of　repair；　while　a　musty　odor　permeated　the　room。　Outside　the　railing　the　seating　capacity　of　the　court…room　was　rather　small；　rough；　bare　planks　serving　for　seats；　but　the　spectators　gladly　stood　along　the　sides　and　rear；　eager　to　catch　every　word；　as　they　silently　mopped　the　sweat　which　oozed　alike　from　citizen　and　cattleman。　Forrest　and　I　were　concealed　in　the　rear；　which　was　packed　with　Lovell's　boys；　when　the　judge　walked　in　and　court　opened　for　the　hearing。　Judge　Mulqueen　requested　counsel　on　either　side　to　be　as　brief　and　direct　as　possible；　both　in　their　pleadings　and　testimony；　adding：　〃If　they　reach　the　stock…yards　in　time；　I　may　have　to　load　out　a　train　of　feeders　this　evening。　We'll　bed　the　cars；　anyhow。〃　Turning　to　the　sheriff；　he　continued：　〃Frank；　if　you　happen　outside；　keep　an　eye　up　the　river；　those　Lincoln　feeders　made　a　deal　yesterday　for　five　hundred　three…year…olds。Read　your　complaint。〃

The　legal　document　was　read　with　great　fervor　and　energy　by　the　younger　of　the　two　local　lawyers。　In　the　main　it　reviewed　the　situation　correctly；　every　point；　however；　being　made　subservient　to　their　object；the　possession　of　the　cattle。　The　plaintiffs　contended　that　they　were　the　innocent　holders　of　the　original　contract　between　the　government　and　The　Western　Supply　Company；　properly　assigned；　that　they　had　purchased　these　two　herds　in　question；　had　paid　earnest…money　to　the　amount　of　sixty…five　thousand　dollars　on　the　same；　and　concluded　by　petitioning　the　court　for　possession。　Sutton　arose；　counseled　a　moment　with　Lovell；　and　borrowing　a　chew　of　tobacco　from　Sponsilier；　leisurely　addressed　the　court。

〃I　shall　not　trouble　your　honor　by　reading　our　reply　in　full；　but　briefly　state　its　contents；〃　said　he；　in　substance。　〃We　admit　that　the　herds　in　question；　which　have　been　correctly　described　by　road　brands　and　ages；　are　the　property　of　my　client。　We　further　admit　that　the　two　trail　foremen　here　under　arrest　as　accessories　were　acting　under　the　orders　of　their　employer；　who　assumes　all　responsibility　for　their　acts；　and　in　our　pleadings　we　ask　this　honorable　court　to　discharge　them　from　further　detention。　The　earnest…money；　said　to　have　been　paid　on　these　herds；　is　correct　to　a　cent；　and　we　admit　having　the　amount　in　our　possession。　But；〃　and　the　little　advocate's　voice　rose；　rich　in　its　Irish　brogue；　〃we　deny　any　assignment　of　the　original　contract。　The　Western　Supply　Company　is　a　corporation　name；　a　shield　and　fence　of　thieves。　The　plaintiffs　here　can　claim　no　assignment；　because　they　themselves　constitute　the　company。　It　has　been　decided　that　a　man　cannot　steal　his　own　money；　neither　can　he　assign　from　himself　to　himself。　We　shall　prove　by　a　credible　witness　that　The　Western　Supply　Company　is　but　another　name　for　John　C。　Fields；　Oliver　Radcliff；　and　the　portly　gentleman　who　was　known　a　year　ago　as　'Honest'　John　Griscom；　one　of　his　many　aliases。　If　to　these　names　you　add　a　few　moneyed　confederates；　you　have　The　Western　Supply　Company；　one　and　the　same。　We　shall　also　prove　that　for　years　past　these　same　gentlemen　have　belonged　to　a　ring；　all　brokers　in　government　contracts；　and　frequently　finding　it　necessary　to　use　assumed　names；　generally　that　of　a　corporation。〃

Scanning　the　document　in　his　hand；　Sutton　continued：　〃Our　motive　in　selling　and　accepting　money　on　these　herds　in　Dodge　demands　a　word　of　explanation。　The　original　contract　calls　for　five　million　pounds　of　beef　on　foot　to　be　delivered　at　Fort　Buford。　My　client　is　a　sub…contractor　under　that　award。　There　are　times；　your　honor；　when　it　becomes　necessary　to　resort　to　questionable　means　to　attain　an　end。　This　is　one　of　them。　Within　a　week　after　my　client　had　given　bonds　for　the　fulfi