Louisiana, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, before turning up at your father's place."
I said, "Why did you not catch him in Monroe, Louisiana, or Pine Bluff, Arkansas?"
"He is a crafty one."
"I thought him slow-witted myself."
"That was his act."
"It was a good one. Are you some kind of law?"
LaBoeuf showed me a letter that identified him as a Sergeant of Texas Rangers, working out of a place called Ysleta near El Paso. He said, "I am on detached service just now. I am working for the family of Senator Bibbs in Waco."
"How came Chaney to shoot a senator?"
"It was about a dog. Chelmsford shot the senator's bird dog. Bibbs threatened to whip him over it and Chelmsford shot the old gentleman while he was sitting in a porch swing."
"Why did he shoot the dog?"
"I don't know that. Just meanness. Chelmsford is a hard case. He claims the dog barked at him. I don't know if he did or not."
"I am looking for him too," said I, "this man you call Chelmsford."
"Yes, that is my understanding. I had a conversation with the sheriff today. He informed me that you were staying here and looking for a special detective to go after Chelmsford in the Indian Territory."
"I have found a man for the job."
"Who is the man?"
"His name is Cogburn. He is a deputy marshal for the Federal Court. He is the toughest one they have and he is familiar with a band of robbers led by Lucky Ned Pepper. They believe Chaney has tied up with that crowd."
"Yes, that is the thing to do," said LaBoeuf. "You need a Federal man. I am thinking along those lines myself. I need someone who knows the ground and can make an arrest out there that will stand up. You cannot tell what the courts will do these days. I might get Chelmsford all the way down to McLennan County, Texas, only to have some corrupt judge say he was kidnaped and turn him loose. Wouldn't that be something?"
"It would be a letdown."
"Maybe I will throw in with you and your marshal."
"You will have to talk to Rooster Cogburn about that."
"It will be to our mutual advantage. He knows the land and I know Chelmsford. It is at least a two-man job to take him alive."
"Well, it is nothing to me one way or the other except that when we do get Chaney he is not going to Texas, he is coming back to Fort Smith and hang.
"Haw haw," said LaBoeuf. "It is not important where he hangs, is it?"
"It is to me. Is it to you?"
"It means a good deal of money to me. Would not a hanging in Texas serve as well as a hanging in Arkansas?"
"No, You said yourself they might turn him loose down there. This judge will do his duty."
"If they don't hang him we will shoot him. I can give you my word as a Ranger on that."
"I want Chaney to pay for killing my father and not some Texas bird dog."
"It will not be for the dog, it will be for the senator, and your father too. He will be just as dead that way, you see, and pay for all his crimes at once."
"No, I do not see. That is not the way I look at it."
"I will have a conversation with the marshal."
"It's no use talking to him. He is working for me. He must do as I say."
"I believe I will have a conversation with him all the same."
I realized I had made a mistake by opening up to this stranger. I would have been more on my guard had he been ugly instead of nice-looking. Also my mind was soft and not right from being doped by the bile activator.
I said, "You will not have a conversation with him for a few days at any rate."
"How is that?"
"He has gone to Little Rock."
"On what business?"
"Marshal business."
"Then I will have a conversation with him when he returns."
"You will be wiser to get yourself another marshal. They have aplenty of them. I have already made an arrangement with Rooster Cogburn."
"I will look into it," said he. "I think your mother would not approve of your getting mixed up in this kind of enterprise. She thinks you are seeing about a horse. Criminal investigation is sordid and dangerous and is best left
I said, "Why did you not catch him in Monroe, Louisiana, or Pine Bluff, Arkansas?"
"He is a crafty one."
"I thought him slow-witted myself."
"That was his act."
"It was a good one. Are you some kind of law?"
LaBoeuf showed me a letter that identified him as a Sergeant of Texas Rangers, working out of a place called Ysleta near El Paso. He said, "I am on detached service just now. I am working for the family of Senator Bibbs in Waco."
"How came Chaney to shoot a senator?"
"It was about a dog. Chelmsford shot the senator's bird dog. Bibbs threatened to whip him over it and Chelmsford shot the old gentleman while he was sitting in a porch swing."
"Why did he shoot the dog?"
"I don't know that. Just meanness. Chelmsford is a hard case. He claims the dog barked at him. I don't know if he did or not."
"I am looking for him too," said I, "this man you call Chelmsford."
"Yes, that is my understanding. I had a conversation with the sheriff today. He informed me that you were staying here and looking for a special detective to go after Chelmsford in the Indian Territory."
"I have found a man for the job."
"Who is the man?"
"His name is Cogburn. He is a deputy marshal for the Federal Court. He is the toughest one they have and he is familiar with a band of robbers led by Lucky Ned Pepper. They believe Chaney has tied up with that crowd."
"Yes, that is the thing to do," said LaBoeuf. "You need a Federal man. I am thinking along those lines myself. I need someone who knows the ground and can make an arrest out there that will stand up. You cannot tell what the courts will do these days. I might get Chelmsford all the way down to McLennan County, Texas, only to have some corrupt judge say he was kidnaped and turn him loose. Wouldn't that be something?"
"It would be a letdown."
"Maybe I will throw in with you and your marshal."
"You will have to talk to Rooster Cogburn about that."
"It will be to our mutual advantage. He knows the land and I know Chelmsford. It is at least a two-man job to take him alive."
"Well, it is nothing to me one way or the other except that when we do get Chaney he is not going to Texas, he is coming back to Fort Smith and hang.
"Haw haw," said LaBoeuf. "It is not important where he hangs, is it?"
"It is to me. Is it to you?"
"It means a good deal of money to me. Would not a hanging in Texas serve as well as a hanging in Arkansas?"
"No, You said yourself they might turn him loose down there. This judge will do his duty."
"If they don't hang him we will shoot him. I can give you my word as a Ranger on that."
"I want Chaney to pay for killing my father and not some Texas bird dog."
"It will not be for the dog, it will be for the senator, and your father too. He will be just as dead that way, you see, and pay for all his crimes at once."
"No, I do not see. That is not the way I look at it."
"I will have a conversation with the marshal."
"It's no use talking to him. He is working for me. He must do as I say."
"I believe I will have a conversation with him all the same."
I realized I had made a mistake by opening up to this stranger. I would have been more on my guard had he been ugly instead of nice-looking. Also my mind was soft and not right from being doped by the bile activator.
I said, "You will not have a conversation with him for a few days at any rate."
"How is that?"
"He has gone to Little Rock."
"On what business?"
"Marshal business."
"Then I will have a conversation with him when he returns."
"You will be wiser to get yourself another marshal. They have aplenty of them. I have already made an arrangement with Rooster Cogburn."
"I will look into it," said he. "I think your mother would not approve of your getting mixed up in this kind of enterprise. She thinks you are seeing about a horse. Criminal investigation is sordid and dangerous and is best left
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