Skeleton Lode Read Online Free PDF Page A

the map.”
     
    “Well, I don’t want him gettin’ his hands on our half,” said Dallas. “Let’s hang on to it till hell freezes over, whether we understand it or not.”
     
    “Everybody stand,” the bailiff suddenly said, as the judge entered.
     
    All conversation ceased and everybody stood.
     
    “Court is now in session,” intoned the bailiff, “Judge Tom Grady presiding.”
     
    “We will begin,” Judge Grady said, “by asking counsel for the plaintiff to explain the nature of his complaint and what he expects of this court.”
     
    Rust gave a reasonably close but rambling account of the alleged passing of Hoss Logan and his division of the map.
     
    “To sum it up,” said Rust, “we believe Henry Logan has mistakenly given half a gold claim to a pair of common cowboys, a claim that rightfully belongs to Kelly and Kelsey Logan. We are asking the court to seize whatever Henry Logan may have given to Wells and Holt that has led them to believe they are entitled to share in the Logan estate.”
     
    “You may be seated, Mr. Rust,” Judge Grady said, “and we’ll hear from Mr. Wells and Mr. Holt. State your case, gentlemen.”
     
    “We’ll have our say. Judge,” said Arlo, “after you’ve read this letter from Henry Logan to us.”
     
    Judge Grady accepted the letter, read it twice, and then returned it.
     
    “Hoss Logan aimed for us to have an interest, and we have his word as proof. What more do you need?” Arlo asked.
     
    “You have no proof that Henry Logan wrote that letter!” Rust shouted.
     
    “ You have no proof that he didn’t,” Arlo shouted back, “and no way of proving he wrote the letter you have.”
     
    “Order in the court!” declared Judge Grady. “Now, Mr. Rust, Mr. Wells voluntarily allowed me to read his letter, while I have yet to see yours. I am no handwriting expert, but I want to compare these two letters.”
     
    Again Arlo presented his letter, while Rust seemed reluctant to come forward with his. Finally he took it from an inside coat pocket and passed it to Judge Grady. The judge took only a moment to reach a decision.
     
    “Both letters are printed,” said the judge, “so nobody can swear they were written by the same hand, but I amvirtually certain they were. Both these pages were torn from the same tablet at the same time, and the lettering is remarkably similar. Clearly, if one of these was written by Henry Logan, they both were. Now what more do you people expect of this court?”
     
    “Nothing, sir,” said Arlo. “We had no complaint to start with, and we have none at this time.”
     
    “Well, we do,” Rust all but screamed, “and the court has done nothing to resolve it. We maintain that Wells and Holt have no right to share in the Logan estate, and we are asking the court to intervene.”
     
    “Henry Logan made his wishes clear, insofar as this court is concerned,” said Judge Grady, “and I see no reason for intervention. If you disagree, state your grounds.”
     
    “Wells and Holt are not Henry Logan’s blood kin,” Rust said angrily, “and Logan did not leave a will. Where there is no will, the estate goes to the nearest kin. That’s an accepted precedent in all United States courts of law, as I understand it.”
     
    “Mr. Rust,” said Judge Grady coldly, “there evidently is something you
don’t
understand. You are not
in
the United States. This is Arizona Territory, and we are not bound by precedent. In any court in Arizona these letters of Henry Logan’s will stand as his last will and testament, and this court accepts them as such. Case dismissed.”
     
    There were many smiles and much ill-concealed laughter as Rust stomped angrily out of the courtroom. The rest of his party followed, the Logan girls last. As they turned away, they cast wistful looks at Arlo and Dallas. The cowboy partners had won the first hand, but they had no time to consider where they stood in the game, for they found themselves