Sampson shoved him back with a curse and warning glare.

“Where’s your warrant to arrest Snell?” shouted Sampson.  “I won’t give you one.  You can’t take him without a warrant.”

“I don’t need warrants to make arrests.  Sampson, you’re ignorant of the power of Texas Rangers.”

“You’ll take Snell without papers?” bellowed Sampson.

“He goes to Del Rio to jail,” answered Steele.

“He won’t.  You’ll pull none of your damned Ranger stunts out here.  I’ll block you, Steele.”

That passionate reply of Sampson’s appeared to be the signal Steele had been waiting for.

He had helped on the crisis.  I believed I saw how he wanted to force Sampson’s hand and show the town his stand.

Steele backed clear of everybody and like two swift flashes of light his guns leaped forth.  He was transformed.  My wish was fulfilled.

Here was Steele, the Ranger, in one of his lone lion stands.  Not exactly alone either, for my hands itched for my guns!

“Men!  I call on you all!” cried Steele, piercingly.  “I call on you to witness the arrest of a criminal opposed by Sampson, mayor of Linrock.  It will be recorded in the report sent to the Adjutant General at Austin.  Sampson, I warn you—­don’t follow up your threat.”

Sampson sat white with working jaw.

“Snell, come here,” ordered Steele.

The man went as if drawn and appeared to slink out of line with the guns.  Steele’s cold gray glance held every eye in the hall.

“Take the handcuffs out of my pocket.  This side.  Go over to Gorsech with them.  Gorsech, snap those irons on Snell’s wrists.  Now, Snell, back here to the right of me.”

It was no wonder to me to see how instantly Steele was obeyed.  He might have seen more danger in that moment than was manifest to me; on the other hand he might have wanted to drive home hard what he meant.

It was a critical moment for those who opposed him.  There was death in the balance.

This Ranger, whose last resort was gun-play, had instantly taken the initiative, and his nerve chilled even me.  Perhaps though, he read this crowd differently from me and saw that intimidation was his cue.  I forgot I was not a spectator, but an ally.

“Sampson, you’ve shown your hand,” said Steele, in the deep voice that carried so far and held those who heard.  “Any honest citizen of Linrock can now see what’s plain—­yours is a damn poor hand!

“You’re going to hear me call a spade a spade.  Your office is a farce.  In the two years you’ve been mayor you’ve never arrested one rustler.  Strange, when Linrock’s a nest for rustlers!  You’ve never sent a prisoner to Del Rio, let alone to Austin.  You have no jail.

“There have been nine murders since you took office, innumerable street fights and hold-ups. Not one arrest! But you have ordered arrests for trivial offenses, and have punished these out of all proportion.