ton.

CHAPTER XXV

HANDLING THE LAW

Norton opened the door a trifle and called "One man at a time!" There
were some hoarse shouts from without--presumably from Dunlavey's
friends; a chorus of derisive laughter from Allen's. Then the first man
entered.

It was Ace. The poet stood for an instant, blinking at the light, then
he grinned as his gaze rested on the occupants of the room. He was
directed how to cast his ballot. He took the piece of paper that was
given him by Norton, scrawled "Allen" across it with a pencil that
Norton had previously placed on the table, and dropped the paper into
Dunlavey's hat. Hollis opened the rear door for him, but he halted on
the threshold, looking back into the room with a broad grin.

"Gawd A'mighty!" he said in an awed tone; "there must have been a wad of
money blowed in in this here town to-day! Drunks! Man alive there ain't
nothin' but drunks; the town's reelin' with 'em! They're layin' in the
street; there's a dozen in the Silver Dollar an' that many more in the
Fashion--an' Gawd knows how many more in the other saloons. Their heads
is under the tables; they're hangin' on the walls an' clawin' around in
spittoons--gle-or-i-ously, be-ut-i-fully paralyzed!"

He was suddenly outside, pushed through the door by Hollis, and the door
closed after him. Hollis glanced furtively at Dunlavey to see that
gentleman scowl. He thought he saw a questioning glint in Allen's eyes
as the latter looked suddenly at him, but he merely smiled and gave his
attention to the next man, who was now entering.

The latter proved to be Lemuel Train. He did his voting quietly and
grimly. But as he went out through the door that Hollis opened for him
he growled: "Lordy, what a drunken bunch!" He looked at Hollis. "One of
your men, too," he said, grinning slightly. "I thought you taught them
better!"

Hollis frowned. He knew that Allen would need all his friends; none of
them could be spared in this crisis. He smiled incredulously. It had
been only a short time before that his men had accompanied him to the
door of the sheriff's office. At that time they were perfectly sober. It
would have been impossible for any of them--

"An' Ten Spot's a hummer when he gits started," Train was saying. "I've
seen him before when he cut loose an' he sure is a holy terror!"

Then with a word of parting Train was gone, saying that he had done all
the "damage" he could and that he purposed "hitting" the trail b