up
over you! Had a copy of the _Kicker_ in front of him on his desk
when he was talkin' to me. Says you're a scrapper from the word go, an'
that he'd back you up long as there was a blue coat anywhere in the
Territory!"

Allen's speech was ungrammatical, but its message was one of good cheer
and Hollis's eyes brightened. The Law was coming at last! He could not
help but wonder what Dunlavey's feelings would be when he heard of it.
For himself, he felt as any man must feel who, laboring at a seemingly
impossible task, endless and thankless, sees in the distance the
possible, the end, and the plaudits of his friends.

Yes, he could see the end, but the end was not yet. He looked gravely at
Allen.

"Did you happen to hear when these laws become effective?" he inquired.

"On the first day of October!" returned Allen, triumphantly.

Hollis smiled. "And election day is the third of November," he said.
"That gives Dunlavey, Watkins and Company a month's grace--in case you
are elected sheriff."

Allen grinned. "They can't do a heap in a month," he said.

"No," returned Hollis, "but in most elections that have come under my
observation, I have noticed that the winning candidate does not assume
office for a considerable time after the election. What is the custom
out here?"

Allen grinned grimly. "Usually it's two weeks," he said, "but if I'm
elected it will be the next day--if I have to go down to the sheriff's
office and drag Bill Watkins out by the hair!"

"That belligerent spirit does you credit," dryly observed Hollis. "It
will afford me great pleasure to participate in the festivities. But
there is another matter to be thought of--which we seem to have
overlooked. Usually before an election there is a primary, or a
convention, is there not?"

"There is," grinned Allen. "It's to-night, and I'm ready for it!" His
grin expanded to a wide, whimsical smile. "I told you that I'd been
mixing a little politics with business," he said. "Well, I've done so."
He got up and approached the front window of the office, sweeping a hand
toward the street. "If you'll just get up and look out here," he said,
"you'll see that I ain't lying. There's some good in being an
ex-office-holder--you get experience enough to tell you how to run a
campaign." He bowed to Hollis. "Now, if you'll look close at that gang
which is mixing palaver in front of the Silver Dollar you'll mebbe
notice that Lemuel Train is in it, an' Truxton, of the Di