“Mornin’, Judge,” said he, “are the papers ready for the sheriff yet?”

“Not yet, Luke, not yet,” Dolan assured, him blandly.  “I ain’t had time to get at ’em.”

“When you gonna get at ’em?”

“Soon as I get time.”

“But lookit here, Judge.  We’re bein’ delayed.  We wanna get the Dales off their ranch soon as we can.”

“Off their ranch is shore the truth,” struck in Racey.  “You do tell it sometimes, don’t you, Luke?”

But Luke Tweezy was not to be drawn that morning.  He focussed his eyes and attention steadily on Judge Dolan.

“We wanna take possession soon as we can,” persisted Luke Tweezy.

“Shore you do,” said the Judge, heartily.  “No reason why you shouldn’t wanna as I know of.”

“If you can’t see yore way to getting at this business within a reasonable time I’ll have to sue out a mandatory injunction against you, Judge, and—­”

Dolan smiled wintrily.  “What judge are you figuring on to grant this injunction?”

Luke Tweezy was silent.

“You don’t expect me to grant a mandatory injunction against myself, do you?” pursued Dolan.

“I can go to Judge Allison at Marysville or to Piegan City, and I guess—­”

“I guess not,” interrupted the Judge.  “Judge Allison, as you know, is a Federal Judge, and these here eviction proceedin’s are territorial business.  And, furthermore, lemme point out that the Piegan City court ain’t got any jurisdiction in this case.”

“Why not?”

“Because the case ain’t come to a hearing yet.  That’s why.  You oughta know that, Luke.  Yo’re a lawyer.”

“Alla same—­” began Luke.

“Alla same nothing!” declared Judge Dolan. “After eviction proceedin’s have been started, and if you don’t have any luck in getting them women off the place, then you can apply to this court for redress.  I’ll set a date for a hearing. After the hearing, if you got a notion in yore numskull that I ain’t doing you right, you can apply to the Piegan City court for all the ——­ mandatory injunctions you feel like and be ——­ to you.  Is they any further business you got with me, Luke, or any more points of law you wanna be instructed on?  ’Cause if they ain’t, here’s you, there’s the door, and right yonder is outside.”

Luke Tweezy departed abruptly.

Dolan laughed harshly as the door slammed.  “He can’t bluff me, the chucklehead.  He knew he couldn’t sue out a mandatory injunction yet, knew it damn well, but he didn’t think I knew it, damn his ornery soul.”

“Oh, he’s slick, Luke Tweezy is,” said Racey Dawson, “but like most slick gents he thinks everybody else is a fool.”

“He makes a mistake once in a while,” grunted Dolan.

At which Racey looked up sharply.  “A mistake,” he repeated.  “There’s an idea.  I wonder if he has made any mistake.”

“Who ain’t?” nodded Dolan.  “Luke’s made plenty, I’ll bet.”