EDUC.dTION OF A TEX.J.N
79
"You did too threaten me, and you know it!" We all
turned to see the super standing back of the deputies.
"And you're going to find room," Sam almost shouted the
words, but he never turned his head from the sheriff.
"That's enough of that kind of talk!" The sheriff stepped
square in front of Sam. "This busina>s is done right here and
now
I"
He glared at the rest of us. "I'll have all you people
understand that I'm the Law in this County and what I say
goes!" The deputies shifted over directly back of the sheriff.
"This hospital is full up and that settles it. The whole bunch
of you had better go home before you get into trouble!"
Sam started to say something, but Tex beat him to it.
"Mister Hawkins, I don't want any trouble, but I figure that
they can make room for my wife in there." Little cold devils
started chasing each other up and down my spine. "I'm going
to get her and take her in. There won't be any trouble lessen
some damn fool tries to stop me!"
He turned down the steps and the sheriff grabbed his arm.
"Just a minute, Buckley!" The sheriff's voice was plain panicky.
Tex stopped and Sam moved over beside him. "Well, I'm
with him, sheriff!"
Everybody held their breath and there they stood for a
spell. Big Tex, without any more expression than a dumb year–
ling, towered above the sheriff, and Big Sam, his face scowling
black as night, blotting the sheriff out of sight with his barn
door wide frame. No tetling what might've happened if that
damn fool super hadn't settled it.
H e started to jump up and down with excitement. "You
see, sheriff
I
You see, sheriff! They're going to tell me how
to run my hospital and you how to run the law
I
They're a
bunch of communists! They're on relief and can't even make
a living, but their women go right on having children like pigs!"
Tex just sorta swung one arm and the sheriff went down
like he'd been pole-axed as Tex started for the super. The
women screamed as one of th e deputies hit Tex a smack with
a black-jack that would've dropped an ox. Tex pushed him off
and waded into the rest of 'em with blood streaming down his
face. He wasn't alone; Sam was right there with him. The
super ran into the building hollering bloody murder as the
deputies ganged Tex and Sam.
It
only lasted a minute, but it takes longer telling. Most
of us had lived in San Anglo a long time and we just couldn't
