Slocum's Breakout - Jake Logan [34]
“We are poor farmers,” Murrieta said, not a hint of guilt in his voice. Slocum marveled at this since Murrieta might well fit the description of the lawman’s quarry.
“I know all about that,” Bernard said. “Hez Galworthy tells me all the time I got to serve process on you people.”
“You are here, then, to steal our land?”
“I told you that I’m looking for a prisoner that escaped from my jail. I don’t rightly care about other escapees.” Bernard made it obvious he hadn’t come for Murrieta, though he had to know the man had escaped from San Quentin.
Slocum melted back into the small house, looked around for a way out, and realized there was only one door. The few windows were high and small, hardly wide enough for him to squeeze through. If the sheriff figured out he was inside, he was a goner.
He drew his six-shooter and waited.
“You know everyone here, Sheriff,” Murrieta said.
“Now, that’s not true. I don’t know you, and here you’re acting as mouthpiece for everyone.”
“Maybe I am your escaped prisoner?”
Bernard cleared his throat, then winked broadly.
“Nope, never saw you in my town. The gent I’m looking for is named Jasper Jarvis, though I wonder about how true that is. Turn him over to me and I still won’t know any of you next time I ride this way.” Bernard looked hard at Murrieta to make sure he understood the meaning. Cooperating with Wilkinson and the warden at San Quentin wasn’t on his plate, then or ever, but capturing a man who had escaped from his jail was, especially if he was suspected of robbing the Miramar bank.
“Why do you come here?” Murrieta swung his rifle around to emphasize his point. He wanted the posse gone from his village. Slocum wished he would start shooting. Blood would be spilled but all the lawmen would be permanently removed from the hunt for him.
“We got a note to the effect that he’s holed up in your town. Said Jarvis was responsible for a whole slew of crimes. Robbed Hez Galworthy’s bank, maybe beat up a prison guard. Fact is, Jarvis is wanted by more people than you can shake a stick at. But he’s mine first. Them varmints up at San Quentin can wait their turn.”
“He is not here.”
“Got to look.”
“You cannot do this without a search warrant!”
“Now aren’t we the dirt farmer lawyer? This note says he’s hiding out here, so I’m searching the entire village before he can get away.” Bernard studied Murrieta long and hard and finally said, “Might be I’m beginning to recognize you.”
Murrieta walked to the sheriff and took the note. He crumpled it up and tossed it to the ground.
“That is not a legal paper.”
“As legal as I need, Murrieta. You want to start shooting? You’ll never win.”
Slocum saw the deputies already on the ground and moving to other houses. The sheriff eyed where Slocum hid in a way that betrayed the first house to be searched. Slocum looked for a trapdoor, hoping for a root cellar. Nothing but dirt rewarded his search. Even a prairie dog couldn’t dig a tunnel out of there fast enough. Murrieta might shoot the sheriff in the back if he came in, but Slocum wanted to avoid that. Drawing attention to the town would bring federal marshals down on them. Murrieta was sure to be sent back to San Quentin if the investigation went far enough.
He stood on the table and rammed his fingers into the thatch of the roof. Working furiously, he opened a hole to the roof, then jumped, caught a viga, and pulled himself up and onto the flat roof. From his vantage he saw Bernard dismount and come to the door. A small scuffle ensued between the lawman and Murrieta, then Maria tried to stop Bernard. That ended the same way the one with Murrieta had.
Sheriff Bernard stepped into the small house, rifle ready to fire on Jasper Jarvis.
Slocum worked back the thatch as fast as he could. A small hole still remained, allowing him to stare down at the top of the sheriff’s hat. Slocum stretched to block as much of the sunlight as he could so it wouldn’t call attention to the gaping roof. He held his breath as Bernard rummaged about, doing everything that Slocum had looking for a hiding