LAW INVOKED AND DEFIED
As soon as the deputies had gone, two of them nursing injured heads, and all exhibiting numerous bruises, Judge Lindman rose and dressed. In the ghostly light preceding the dawn he went to the safe, his fingers trembling so that he made difficult work with the combination. He got a record from out of the safe, pulled out the bottom drawer, of a series filled with legal documents and miscellaneous articles, laid the record book on the floor and shoved the drawer in over it. An hour later he was facing Corrigan, who on getting a report of the incident from one of the deputies, had hurried to get the Judge’s version. The Judge had had time to regain his composure, though he was still slightly pale and nervous.
The Judge lied glibly. He had seen no one in the courthouse. His first knowledge that anyone had been there had come when he had heard the voice of one, of the deputies, calling to him. And then all he had seen was a shadowy figure that had leaped and struck. After that there had been some shooting. And then the men had escaped.
“No one spoke?”
“Not a word,” said the Judge. “That is, of course, no one but the man who called to me.”
“Did they take anything?”
“What is there to take? There is nothing of value.”
“Gieger says one of them was working at the safe. What’s in there?”
“Some books and papers and supplies—nothing of value. That they tried to get into the safe would seem to indicate that they thought there was money there—Manti has many strangers who would not hesitate at robbery.”
“They didn’t get into the safe, then?”