the dress of the girl who was sitting on his lap and jerked it down, exposing her breasts.
“Stop that!” the girl called out in anger and fright. She jumped up from his lap and began pulling the top of her dress back up.
“Ha! Arnold, you done got that girl all mad at you.”
They had called each other Harry and Arnold. That was all the verification Matt needed. Turning back toward the bar, he signaled the bartender.
“Yes, sir, what can I do for you?” he asked.
“I need you to get the women away from those two men,” Matt said, quietly.
“Mister, as long as those men are paying, the girls can stay.”
“I’m about to arrest those two men for murder,” Matt said. “If they resist arrest, then I intend to kill them. I wouldn’t want the women to be in the way.”
“Oh!” the bartender said. “Oh, uh, yes, I see what you mean. But…I don’t know how to get them away without tellin’ what’s about to happen.”
“Go down to the other end of the bar and take out a new bottle of whiskey. Tell the men it’s on the house, you’re giving it to them for being good customers. Then call the women over to get it.”
“Yeah,” the bartender said. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Matt remained there with his back to the men while the bartender walked down to the other end of the bar. He put a bottle of whiskey up on the bar.
“Jane, Ellie Mae,” he called. “Come up here for a moment.”
“Hey, bartender, you leave these girls with us. They’re enjoyin’ our company,” one of the men said. This was Arnold.
“We are enjoying your company, too, sir,” the bartender said. “You’ve spent a lot of money with us and you been such good customers and all, we’re pleased to offer you a bottle of whiskey on the house. That is, if you’ll let the girls come up to get it.”
“Well, hell, you two girls go on up there and get the bottle,” Harry said. “And if you are good to us, why, we’ll let you have a few drinks. Right, Arnold?”
“Right, Harry,” Arnold answered.
From his position in the saloon, Matt watched in the mirror as the two girls left the table and started toward the bartender. Not until he was sure they were absolutely clear did he turn around.
“Hello, Harry. Hello, Arnold,” he said.
“What?” Harry replied, surprised at being addressed by name. “Do you know us?”
“No, but I know who you are. I was a good friend of the McDonalds,” Matt said.
“We don’t know anyone named McDonald,” Harry said.
“Sure you do,” Matt said. “You murdered them.”
The two men leaped up then, jumping up so quickly that the chairs fell over behind them. Both of them started toward their guns, but when they saw how quickly Matt had his own pistol out, they stopped, then raised their hands.
“We ain’t drawin’, mister. We ain’t drawin’!” Arnold said.
When Matt returned to Green River, Harry and Arnold were riding in front of him. Each man had his hands in iron shackles, and there was a rope stretching from Harry’s neck to Arnold’s neck, then from Arnold’s nect to the saddle horn of Matt’s saddle. This was to discourage either, or both, from trying to bolt away during the return journey.
Chapter Two
Within a week of their capture, the two brothers were put on trial in the Sweetwater County Courthouse. Although seats were hard to come by, Sheriff Foley had held a place for Matt so he was able to move through the crowd of people who were searching for their own places to sit. Rather than being resentful of him, however, those in the crowd applauded when Matt came in. They were aware of the role Matt had played in bringing the Baker brothers to trial.
Matt had been in his seat for little more than a minute when the bailiff came through a little door at the front of the courtroom. Clearing his voice, the bailiff addressed the gallery.
“Oyez, oyez, oyez, this court of Sweetwater County, Green River City, Wyoming, will now come to order, the Honorable Judge Daniel Norton presiding. All rise.”
As Judge Norton came into the courtroom and stepped up to the bench, Matt Jensen stood with the others.
“Be seated,” Judge Norton said. “Bailiff, call the first case.”
“There’s only one case, Your Honor. There come now before this court Harry G. Baker and Arnold S. Baker, both men having been indicted for the crime of murder in the first degree.”
“Thank you, Bailiff. Are the defendants represented by counsel?”
The defense attorney stood. “I am Robert Dempster, Your Honor, duly certified before the bar and appointed by the court to defend the Misters Baker.”
“Is prosecution present?”
