ul indecision that had seized the man. As
the secretary watched, he realized that Lawler was on the verge of
surrendering to the passions he was fighting--for Lawler had again
taken up the cartridge belt and was opening his coat to buckle the belt
around him.

"_Governor._"

It was the secretary's voice. It was low, conveying the respect that the
man always used in addressing Lawler. But the sound startled Lawler like
the explosion of a bomb in the room. He flashed around, saw the
secretary--looked steadily at him for one instant, and then dropped the
belt to the desk, tossed the pistols into the drawer and smiled
mirthlessly.

"Governor," said the secretary; "your train is ready."

The secretary stood within three yards of Lawler, and before he could
turn to go out, Lawler had reached him. He seized both the man's hands,
gripped them tightly, and said, hoarsely:

"Thank you, Williams."

Then he released the secretary's hands and plunged out through the door,
while the secretary, smiling wisely, walked to the desk and picking up
the cartridge belt, dropped it into the drawer with the pistols.

CHAPTER XLI

THE CLEAN-UP

The Wolf Saloon was in a big frame building that stood at a little
distance from the back of the street, with a wide, open space on each
side of it. Lights were flickering from some of the upstairs windows of
the building when Shorty and the other Circle L men reached town. Shorty
and his men had ridden hard, and they had seen a horse and rider halt in
front of the building while they were yet a mile or so out on the
plains. And when Shorty's horse struck the edge of town Shorty headed
him straight for the Wolf, veering when he reached it and passing to the
open space from which ran an outside stairway. The other men followed
Shorty's example, and they were close at his heels when he slipped off
his horse and ran around to the front of the Wolf.

Warden had come out shortly before; he was now in his office farther
down the street, congratulating himself upon the outcome of the incident
in the saloon. He had struck a damaging blow at Lawler. At a stroke he
was evening his score with the latter.

Several other men had emerged from the saloon. When Shorty reached the
front door four men were just emerging, carrying another. Suspicious,
alert, Shorty halted the men and peered closely at the face of the man
they were carrying.

"It's Joe Hamlin!" he said as he recognized the other's fa