McDuffie’s pistol was lying in a chair beside him. Rube, turning to Jesse, said:
“Hand me that pistol quick, or I will shoot your head off.”
Jesse tremblingly obeyed, and Rube covered all three of the guards with the two pistols. He then bade Jesse unlock his shackles. This being done, he said:
“Now put them on McDuffie.”
McDuffie protested and made a motion to approach Rube, but seeing he was powerless, said:
“All right, Rube; you have the drop, and can have your way.”
Rube then made Jesse shackle McDuffie and Marshal together. Taking the key of the jail-yard door from the chair where McDuffie had placed it, Rube, jumping up about two feet from the floor, cracked his heels together and exclaimed:
“I have the big key to the jail. I am boss of the town, and as some people say I am not Rube Burrow, I will paint Linden red, and show them who I am.”
He then ordered Jesse to go with him to find Carter. Carter’s exact whereabouts were not known to either Rube or Jesse. To the hotel and thence to the sheriff’s office they journeyed, and spending nearly an hour in a fruitless search for Carter, Rube thought Jesse was purposely delaying him.
“I will kill you,” said Rube, “if I find you are fooling with me.”