CHAPTER VII
THE COALITION
When Lawler reached Willets' one street he saw a buckboard drawn by twogray horses. The vehicle was headed west, away from him, and the horseswere walking. The distance between himself and the buckboard was notgreat, and he saw that it was occupied by two women--one of them thewoman whom he had met at the foot of the stairs leading to Warden'soffice. The other was elderly, and was looking straight ahead, but theyoung woman's head was turned toward Lawler at the instant Lawler caughtsight of the buckboard. It seemed to him that the young woman must havebeen watching him, before he became aware of the buckboard, for therewas a smile on her face as she looked at him; and when she seemed surethat he was looking she gayly waved a white handkerchief.
Lawler did not answer the signal. He looked around, thinking thatperhaps the woman might have waved the handkerchief at some friend shehad just left, and when he turned she had her back to him.
Lawler was conscious of a pulse of amusement over the woman's action,though he experienced no fatuous thrill. The woman was frivolous, andhad made no appeal to his imagination.
Besides, Lawler was in no mood for frivolous thought. He was having hisfirst experience with the invisible and subtle power that ruled thecommerce of the nation, and his thoughts were serious--almost vicious.
Somewhere a mighty hand had halted activity in the Wolf River section; apower, stealthy, sinister, had interfered with the business in which hewas vitally interested, interrupting it, disturbing it.
Lawler had kept himself well informed. In the big library at the CircleL were various volumes relating to economics that had been well thumbedby him. He had been privately educated, by his mother. And among thebooks that lined the shelves of the library were the philosophers,ancient and modern; the masters of art, science, and letters, and amiscellany of authorities on kindred subjects.
When his father had insisted that he be educated he had studied thepolitical history of his state; he had kept a serious eye upon theactivities of all the politicians of note; he had kept his mind open andfree from party prejudice. He knew that the present governor of thestate was incapable, or swayed by invisible and malign influences. Hewas aware that the state railroad commissioner lacked aggressiveness, orthat he had been directed to keep in the background. And he was alsoaware that for a year or more the people of the state had regrettedelecting the present governor; the dissatisfaction manifesting itself invarious ways, though chiefly in the tone of the editorials published bythe newspapers in the towns.
As the average newspaper editor endeavors to anticipate public opinionhe invariably keeps himself well informed concerning the activities ofan office-holder, that he may be prepared to campaign against him at theinstant he detects dissatisfaction among his subscribers. And thepresent governor was being scathingly arraigned by the newspapers of thestate, while he sat in smug complacence in his office at the capital. Hehad made no effort to correct some of the evils of government aboutwhich he had raged just before the election.
Lawler smiled with grim amusement as he walked toward the WilletsHotel--where he meant to stay overnight. For he was convinced that thecar shortage could not exist if the state officials--especially therailroad commissioner--would exert authority to end it. It seemed toLawler that there must exist a secret understanding between the railroadcommissioner and the invisible power represented by Gary Warden. And hewondered at the temerity of the governor--the sheer, brazen disregardfor the public welfare that permitted him to become leagued with theinvisible power in an effort to rob the cattle owners of the state. Hemust certainly know that he had been elected by the cattle owners--thattheir votes and the votes of their employees had made it possible forhim to gain the office he had sought.
But perhaps--and Lawler's lips curved with bitterness--the governorwanted only one term. For two years of complete and absolute control ofthe cattle industry of the state would make him wealthy enough to holdpublic opinion in contempt.
From a window of his office Gary Warden had watched Lawler go into thestation building. And from the same window Warden saw Lawler emerge. Hewatched Lawler, noting the gravity of his face, exulting, smilingmockingly. Warden also noted the little drama of the flutteringhandkerchief, and the smile went out and a black, jealous rage seizedhim.
However, Gary Warden and Jay Simmons were not the only persons in townwho watched Lawler. When he had entered town the school children who hadpreceded him had watched him from in front of the Wolf; and half a dozenlean-faced, rugged, and prosperous-looking men had watched him from thelounging-room of the Willets Hotel.
The men in the lounging-room were watching Lawler now, as he walkedtoward the building, for they seemed to divine that he would enter.
When Lawler stepped over the threshold his lips were set in stern,serious lines and his brows were drawn together in a frown. For histhoughts were dwelling upon the sinister power that threatened to createconfusion in the section.
He did not see the men in the lounging-room until he had taken severalsteps toward the desk; and then he glanced carelessly toward them.Instantly his eyes glowed with recognition; he walked toward them.
"Howdy, Lawler," greeted one, extending a hand. And, "howdy," was theword that passed the lips of the others as Lawler shook hands with them.He called them all by name; but it was to the first man that he spoke,after the amenities had been concluded.
"I heard you were in town, Caldwell," he said.
Caldwell--a big man with a black beard, probing, intelligent eyes, andan aggressive chin, grinned grimly.
"Gary Warden tell you?" he asked.
"No. Warden didn't mention you."
"Then it was Jay Simmons. You ain't been anywhere else."
"How do you know?"
Caldwell exchanged glances with his companions. "I reckon we've beenwatchin' you, Lawler. We seen you ride into town on Red King, an' weseen you go over to the station from Warden's office."
"Watching me?" queried Lawler; "what for?"
"Wall, I reckon we wanted to see how you took it."
"Took what?"
"What Warden an' Simmons had to say to you. We got ours--me yesterday;Barthman an' Littlefield this mornin'; an' Corts, Sigmund, an' Lesterthe day before yesterday. I reckon the whole section will get it beforelong. Looks like they're tryin' to squeeze us. How many steers did yousell to Warden at twenty-five?"
Lawler grinned.
"An' Simmons?" said Caldwell, gleefully.
"No cars."
"Seems Simmons ain't makin' no exceptions. We've all heard the samestory. We knowed you'd be in, an' we sort of waited around, wonderin'what you'd do about it. We didn't bring no cattle over, for we hadn'tmade no arrangement with Jim Lefingwell--like you done--an' we didn'twant to stampede Warden."
Lawler told them what had occurred in his interview with Warden.
"I reckon Warden's the liar, all right," declared Caldwell; "JimLefingwell's word was the only contract anyone ever needed with him." Helooked keenly at Lawler. "What you aimin' to do?" he questioned.
"I've been thinking it over," said Lawler.
"You ain't figgerin' to lay down to the cusses?" Caldwell's voice waslow and cold.
Lawler looked straight at him, smiling. Caldwell laughed, and the othersgrinned.
"Lawler, we knowed you wouldn't," declared Caldwell; "but a man's got aright to ask. Right here an' now somethin' has got to be done. Looks tome as if we've got to play this game to a showdown, an' we might as wellstart right now. They're ain't none of us men goin' to let Gary Wardenan' the railroad company run our business; but there's a few ownersaround here that ain't got no stomach for a fight, an' they'd sell toWarden for ten dollars rather than have any trouble. Them's the guyswe've got to talk mighty plain to. For if they go to sellin' for whatthey can get, they'll make it allfired uncomfortable for us."
"This is a free country, Caldwell. So far as I'm concerned every manruns his own ranch and sells for what he thinks is a fair price. If wego to interfer
ing with them, we'd be as bad as Warden and the railroadcompany."
"Lawler, you're right," agreed Caldwell, after reflecting a moment. "Ididn't realize that, at first. A man don't think, when he's mad clearthrough. But it's mighty plain--we've got to stand on our own feet, ifwe stand at all."
Barthman, a tall, lean-faced man, cleared his throat.
"Lawler, you're the man to handle this thing. You've got the most money,the most brains, an' you're known all over the state--on account of themslick Herefords you've been raisin', an' on account of headin' thedelegation to the state convention last fall, from this county. You cantalk, for you mighty near stampeded that convention last fall. If you'dsaid the word you'd have been governor today instead of that dumb coyotewhich is holdin' down the office now. You've got the reputation an' thebackbone--an' they've got to listen to you. I've heard that cattleowners all over the state are gettin' the same deal." Barthman's eyesgleamed with passion. "I propose that you be elected chairman of thismeetin', an' that you be instructed to hop on the mornin' train an' goto the railroad commissioner at the capital an' tell him that if hedon't give orders to bust up this thievin' combination the cattle ownersof this county will come down there an' yank off his hide!"