Page:Melville Davisson Post--The Man of Last Resort.djvu/41

Rh Crawley's Emporium, playing the taxes of Bolas County, and losing them, sir, losing them.”

The Governor's face grew hard, and his remarks for a moment were quite unprintable. Then he turned to the Auditor.

“Ned,” he continued, “you must get him out, and take him up to my residence. I will be here by ten o'clock. I am compelled to go to El Paso. I can't get out of it. I am compelled to go.”

“Compelled?” ejaculated the Major, “who, in the name of all the living gods, is compelling you? He must be greater than the railroads, greater than the legislature, greater than the Federal Court. Compelling the Honorable Alfred Capland Randal? Shade of the blooming Witch of Endor!”

“Ned,” said the Governor slowly, “I will explain it all just as soon as I can. In the meantime you must help me. You must get him out. Won't you, Ned?”

The Governor put his hand on the Auditor's shoulder, just as he had done a thousand times before when he needed the help of this unusual