{"id":87,"date":"2008-08-17T00:00:53","date_gmt":"2008-08-17T04:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/?p=87"},"modified":"2022-12-14T14:21:44","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T19:21:44","slug":"the-lawmen-of-dos-diablos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/articles\/the-lawmen-of-dos-diablos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lawmen of Dos Diablos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI<\/strong><\/span>\u2014I just don\u2019t know what happened, Mr. Mayor. One minute, McGavin and his gang were right in front of me, goin\u2019 through Horton Canyon. They rounded a corner and, when I got there not two minutes later, they were gone. Nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheriff Chuck Mills hated the words as he spoke them. They sounded like excuses\u2014and making excuses wasn\u2019t his way. For nearly 15 years, Sheriff Mills had protected Dos Diablos, Arizona, from bank robbers, highwaymen, cattle thieves and any other trouble to come through the small ranching town.<\/p>\n

But he was telling the truth; he had no way to explain what had happened just moments earlier. The McGavin gang just disappeared into the desert, like water drops evaporating in the Arizona heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing. And you expect me to believe that?\u201d Mayor Fate Thomas practically spat his disgust onto his cluttered oak desk. \u201cI tell you this, Mills\u2014Hunter McGavin is the most wanted man in the territory. He killed three men in a robbery in Tucson. Now he\u2019s here and raising Cain in Dos Diablos! That\u2019s just not going to happen in my town!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir. I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, understand this\u2014if you can\u2019t find McGavin, I\u2019ll get me a sheriff who can!\u201d The mayor\u2019s jowly face blushed in anger as he pointed a thick finger at the tall, stoic sheriff.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d Mills fingered his dusty brown hat and quietly shuffled out the City Hall door. His horse, Clovis, looked up from his hitching post, obviously recognizing its master.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, boy; I\u2019m glad to see you, too,\u201d the sheriff whispered, scratching the horse\u2019s ears with a gentleness that belied his hard, weathered face. \u201cWhy don\u2019t we go for a little walk?\u201d<\/p>\n

If nothing else, Mills needed to get away from City Hall for a while. He had known Mayor Thomas since he was a boy. They had always enjoyed a good relationship, at least until McGavin and his gang got to town three weeks ago. Since then, the once-pleasant mayor had been a tight bundle of anger and anxiety, bellowing at anyone unfortunate enough to share his small office. Maybe the mayor, who owned the town bank, feared his business would be the next target.<\/p>\n

But despite his hurt, Mills knew that the mayor was right. McGavin was a menace and should have been in the town jail days ago. Knowing that such a dangerous criminal continued to threaten his home and neighbors hurt far more than the mayor\u2019s blustering threats ever could. McGavin had to be caught, alive or dead, before he could harm another innocent person.<\/p>\n

Mills knew he needed a plan. Too bad he didn\u2019t have one. The best he could come up with under the circumstances was to go back to Horton Canyon and look for clues. Maybe he could find something, some small shred of evidence, that would tell him where to find the brutal outlaws. It wasn\u2019t much hope for a man used to dealing in hard facts.<\/p>\n

BLAM! Before he could turn his horse toward the canyon, Mills heard a gunshot from the other side of town.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeeyap, Clovis!\u201d he yelled, snapping the reins with a sharp crack. Maybe his luck had turned, he thought. Perhaps the McGavin gang had saved him the trouble of tracking them down.<\/p>\n

\u201cA<\/strong><\/span>re you sure about that, computer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbability: 94.6% that Doa\u2019Lah remains on Class M planet. Engine exhaust residue analysis indicates ship of Ram\u2019Cadian origin landed at the following coordinates within the past 20 days.\u201d<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath tapped an oversized keypad and glanced at the monitor. \u201cHmmm…looks like this place isn\u2019t live\u2019\u2014it\u2019s just inhabited by non-intelligent life forms. The area we\u2019re entering appears to be sparsely populated, save for a few clusters here and there. It makes sense Doa\u2019Lah would go to one of those clusters.\u201d<\/p>\n

On their homeworld, Doa\u2019Lah was known as a notorious, cunning smuggler and killer. La\u2019Ath had chased the criminal across countless star systems, never quite getting close enough to the elusive Doa\u2019Lah. A tip at a bar on Logos XII, a docking report at the Sosolias Space Station\u2014every clue kept the chase alive, but none brought him to his quarry. So the hunt continued.<\/p>\n

Somehow, they had ended up here, to this uncharted world in an unknown system somewhere on the other side of universe. But now, La\u2019Ath was close. Closer than he had been in months. He intended to make the most of this opportunity.<\/p>\n

The afterburners hissed, bring the small spacecraft small spacecraft to a quiet landing beside a small corn patch. La\u2019Ath pushed open the hatch\u2014the dry, hot air nearly pushed him back. \u201cUgh. How can anyone stand this aridity?\u201d he thought, longing for the thick rainforests of his home. \u201cI\u2019ll need to stay hydrated.\u201d So would Doa\u2019Lah. It makes sense that the criminal would need to stick close to water. Maybe he could use that knowledge to track Doa\u2019Lah. If only he knew….<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the devil is that thang?\u201d A rough voice shouted from behind the ship. \u201cLookit! Some kinda…creature is coming out! I swear, it looks like a compost heap!\u201d La\u2019Ath turned at the noise. Two men in greasy, ragged work shirts and dungarees kept a cautious distance from the craft and its passenger. One of the men pointed a shotgun at the surprise visitor in their cornfield.<\/p>\n

\u201cHairless mammals, by the looks of them. Computer didn\u2019t say anything about that. And I bet those objects they carry are some form of weapons, perhaps a projectile launcher of some sort. I hope the computer\u2019s translator works better than its scanners.\u201d<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath reached for the device, which was on his side. \u201cIts going for its six-shooter! Shoot it!\u201d Jacob, the older of the Donaldson brothers, screamed to Eli, his younger, shorter sibling. BLAM! The buckshot ripped at La\u2019Ath\u2019s side, pellets embedding in his marshy hide. \u201cAAAHH! That hurt!\u201d he cried in what he hoped was his assailant\u2019s tongue, his computer\u2019s translator being somewhat testy. \u201cJust calm down. I\u2019m not here to hurt you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Eli Donaldson peered at La\u2019Ath through sweat-soaked bangs. \u201cIt can talk?!?\u201d He looked over at his brother, uncertain of what to do next.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t listen to it! It\u2019s just trying to confuse us, Eli!\u201d Jacob said.<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath waved all four of his stalk-like limbs in the air. \u201cNow wait! I\u2019m a…lawman. A lawman from far beyond your world. I\u2019ve come here to apprehend a dangerous criminal. A criminal who would want to hurt you and your kind.\u201d He hoped he was getting through, but he wasn\u2019t sure that he was. The two men seemed awfully agitated by his appearance. In his mind, the Donaldson brothers were every bit as frightening as he was to them, but then again, he wasn\u2019t the one holding a weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cShoot, Eli!\u201d Jacob muttered. \u201cHe\u2019s bound to use some kind of outer space mind tricks on us!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut…he said he\u2019s a lawman?\u201d Eli said, looking over at his agitated brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you believe this monster? Does it look like any lawman you ever seen? Now fire before it gets any closer!\u201d Jacob screamed. Eli looked back at his brother, then turned toward La\u2019Ath and lined up his shotgun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t do that, Eli,\u201d Mills said as he and Clovis rode into the cornfield. As shocked as he was at the shambling creature in the middle of Donaldsons\u2019 field, he figured that anything that flew in from space already could have done them harm if it intended. Plus, he knew the Donaldson boys would fight their own grandma just for fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut sheriff! Just look at this thang! How come we can\u2019t shoot it?\u201d Jacob screamed. Sheriff Mills half expected him to start stomping his feet like an angry toddler.<\/p>\n

\u201c \u2019Cause I want to talk to him…it…whatever,\u201d he replied. \u201cNow, you boys run along \u2019fore I dig up an old warrant or two!\u201d<\/p>\n

As the grumbling Donaldsons departed, Mills turned to La\u2019Ath. \u201cI heard you talking about a dangerous criminal. Tell me more.\u201d<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath blinked his large, yellow eyes. \u201cWait a minute. You\u2014you want to help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c \u2019Course I do. I\u2019m Chuck Mills, sheriff of Dos Diablos, Arizona. And if there\u2019s a criminal here, it\u2019s my duty to bring him in.\u201d<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath thought for a moment. \u201cI appreciate the offer; really, I do. But let\u2019s face it\u2014bringing in an interstellar criminal might be a bit more than you can handle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe so. But I know this area better\u2019n anyone. Better\u2019n any gizmo you might have, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Mills said. \u201cPlus, you owe me. Those two polecats would\u2019ve blasted your swampy carcass into compost if Clovis & I hadn\u2019t come along! B\u2019sides, I\u2019m thinkin\u2019 you might be able to help me crack a tough case of my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath thought for a second. Sure, this \u201cShurf Meels\u201d, as he called himself, was a primitive, but he made sense\u2014a local guide might come in handy on this strange, barren planet. Still, he thought it strange that the man\u2019s partner had not even acknowledged him since they arrived.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think, Clovis? Can we work together?\u201d La\u2019Ath extended a tentacle to the horse, who simply sniffed the brown, marshy appendage. La\u2019Ath looked to Sheriff Mills. \u201cYour partner isn\u2019t very talkative, is he? In fact, I find him positively rude!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you wonder why you might need me….\u201d Sheriff Mills allowed himself a brief smile. \u201cNow, c\u2019mon\u2014we need to get you outta sight!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cW<\/strong><\/span>hat in tarnation are you talking about? Why are you wasting my time with this foolishness?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Thomas harrumphed at being interrupted in his office. But Jacob Donaldson wouldn\u2019t let go of the Mayor\u2019s coat sleeve, as he practically dragged him through town. \u201cC\u2019mon, Mayor! I seen it with my own eyes! There\u2019s a space critter in Dos Diablos \u201d\u201c and Sheriff Mills is in cahoots with it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I want to see it with my own eyes then.\u201d The mayor signed and knocked on the front door of Sheriff Mills\u2019 small, wood-framed house. Mills tentatively cracked the door. \u201cCan I help you, Mr. Mayor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSigh<\/em>. The Donaldson boys are making noise about you harboring some sort of….\u201d Mayor Thomas looked over at Jacob Donaldson. \u201cSpace creature!\u201d Jacob said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome sort of space creature. Do you have any idea what he\u2019s talking about, Sheriff?\u201d The sheriff stuck his head out the front door and shook it, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, do you mind if we have a look inside?\u201d Mayor Thomas pushed the front door aside to reveal…a non-descript man, wearing a plain white shirt and faded denim pants, standing in the living room. The man offered a shy wave and awkward smile to the leering crowd gathered on the front porch.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Mr. Mayor, let me introduce my cousin\u2014La, um, Larry. He\u2019s from back East and just got into town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. Your cousin. From back East.\u201d The Mayor gave Jacob his best glare as he turned around to leave. \u201cJacob Donaldson, if you ever….\u201d<\/p>\n

Mills closed the door and shook his head. \u201cThat\u2019s a purty good trick you\u2019ve got there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShape-shifting is a handy survival tactic,\u201d La\u2019Ath said. \u201cMy people have used it for millions of years. Probably evolved as a defense mechanism to save us from being eaten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou looked at yourself lately? Not much appetizing about you!\u201d Mills strapped on his gun belt. \u201cWell, why don\u2019t you keep being \u2018Larry\u2019 for a while\u2014you\u2019ll be a whole lot less conspicuous that way. Say, you ever ridden a horse before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mind,\u201d Mills said, donning his white Stetson hat. \u201cI reckon you\u2019ll just have to learn. Me and you are goin\u2019 to Horton Canyon, \u2019cause I think the critter you\u2019re looking for may just be calling himself Hunter McGavin!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cS<\/strong><\/span>o how you like riding a horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath groaned. \u201cNot to sound like a complainer, but these are the most awful creatures I\u2019ve ever been around. And that Clovis\u2014did you see him relieve himself out in the open back there? I\u2019m sure he\u2019s intentionally trying to offend\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop! Don\u2019t go any farther!\u201d La\u2019Ath pushed his hand into Mills\u2019 chest so hard that he nearly knocked the sheriff off of Clovis\u2019 back. The alien pointed to the yipping, jittering device he carried. \u201cI\u2019m glad I recalculated my instruments to detect human life forms. Two of them are waiting behind the bend of that curve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mills stared ahead at the narrow pass carved between two hills into the yellow dirt. \u201cAn ambush, huh?\u201d He rubbed his stubbled chin and quietly pulled out the rifle strapped across his saddle. \u201cThat\u2019s good to know….\u201d He motion to La\u2019Ath to dismount and follow him, and the lawmen slowly scaled the rocky peak on foot. Looking down from the top of the small hill, they saw two grimy men sitting behind some rocks, just out of sight from the path. One of the men sucked an unlit cheroot cigar, while the other polished a rifle with a stained rag. From their position, they could get the jump on anyone riding down the trail.<\/p>\n

Of course, they didn\u2019t expect someone to be right above them<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, boys \u2014 uh-uh, nice and slow now,\u201d Mills cocked the hammer on his rifle to make a point. The desperados realized they were nabbed and meekly dropped their guns to the desert floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuppose you tell me where McGavin keeps his hideout and I\u2019ll put in a word with the judge. After what you pulled in Tucson, you need all the help you can get!\u201d Mills said as he hogtied the bandits.<\/p>\n

\u201cI swear, I don\u2019t know!\u201d one of the men said as Mills shoved the man\u2019s arms behind his back. \u201cHunter always kept us blindfolded when we came through this pass\u2014he said we wouldn\u2019t believe it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChuck! I have found something!\u201d La\u2019Ath said excitedly. Mills saw nothing unusual as he stared at the dusty canyon: \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis!\u201d La\u2019Ath pushed a button and a glimmering round doorway appeared in front of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a trans-portal leading to pocket universe.\u201d After seeing the blank look on Sheriff Mills\u2019 face, he added, \u201cThink of it as a hidden room.\u201d That much Mills could comprehend. \u201cSo McGavin is in there?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to believe he is. Hunter\u2014or Doa\u2019Lah\u2014is using this pocket dimension as a home base for his raids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood news\u2014you can get off your horse now,\u201d Mills said. \u201cBut draw your six-shooter, pardnuh\u2014we\u2019re goin\u2019 in!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cT<\/strong><\/span>hree of a kind! Beats yore two pair any day!\u201d Hunter McGavin smiled as he stretched his cards out on the table, causing the other two men to utter a variety of colorful expletives. The \u201croom,\u201d as it was, looked like a cave with faintly glowing black walls, roof and floor. Other than the card table, the only items in the room were a case of whisky, a container of dried biscuits and sacks of money with \u201cTucson Federal Bank\u201d stamped on the side of canvas bags.<\/p>\n

McGavin threw back a shot of tequila and laughed as he raked in his poker haul. \u201cHa! Ha! I just can\u2019t lose!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFunny, Doa\u2019Lah; I believe you already have!\u201d La\u2019Ath said. One of the men at the table stood up, only to be shot down by Mills before he could draw his pistol. La\u2019Ath quickly dispatched the other one with a right cross to the jaw as the man lunged for his rifle.<\/p>\n

McGavin dove underneath the table and, using it as a shield, started firing at Mills. \u201cThere\u2019s no cover here; he\u2019s bound to get me!\u201d the sheriff thought, desperately looking for some protection. But before the killer could fire the fatal shot, he seized up, grunted and slumped to the floor. La\u2019Ath stood over McGavin, holding a small metal bar in his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeural disruptor. I actually wasn\u2019t sure if it would work on mammals, but I guess it does,\u201d La\u2019Ath said, poking the unconscious man in the ribs. \u201cI\u2019d say he\u2019ll be out for a couple of your hours, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

The alien stood up and assumed his real form. \u201cBut I am disappointed\u2014this man is not the criminal I am chasing. If so, he would have reverted to his natural state when he was rendered unconscious. So I suppose Doa\u2019Lah has \u2019gotten away,\u2019 as you would say. He could be halfway across the galaxy by this point.\u201d La\u2019Ath sighed. \u201cWell, at least you caught your criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mills shook his head. \u201cNo, don\u2019t give up just yet Lay-Ath. I\u2019ve gotta feelin\u2019 your man ain\u2019t gone too far after all!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cH<\/strong><\/span>ere he is, Mr. Mayor. Just like you asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

The unconscious, hog-tied Hunter McGavin bounced on the hardwood City Hall floor like so many pounds of potatoes. The mayor stood up and gasped, astonished either by the fact Mills had captured the killer or the out-and-out audacity of the sheriff\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou caught him! Is he…?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, he\u2019s just knocked out for a while,\u201d Mills said, striding over to the mayor\u2019s desk. \u201cSumpin\u2019 called a \u2018nurl disrup\u2019ter,\u2019 but you wouldn\u2019t know nothin\u2019 about that, would you…Doe-Luh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in tarnation are you talking about?\u201d the mayor flustered. But Mills continued, \u201cI reckon you did away with the real Mayor Thomas. That\u2019s why you started acting so different. I figgered the stress of being mayor just got to you, but I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were in cahoots with this varmit,\u201d Mills said, pointing to McGavin. \u201cHe robbed the banks, while you hid him out and kept the money in your bank. And when I started poking around, you tried to send me straight into an ambush! I could deal with the mayor being a space alien. But a killer and a crook? Naw; not in Dos Diablos!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Thomas smiled. \u201cYou\u2019re pretty smart\u2014for a mammal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis dustball may be primitive, but here, I can be king! And you aren\u2019t going to stop me; who would believe your story anyway? So why don\u2019t you just take a cashier\u2019s check and ride off back east with that cousin of yours?\u201d The mayor slid his hand into his desk drawer. \u201cI\u2019m sure we can work out a\u2014AIEEE!!\u201d<\/p>\n

The mayor shrieked and fell to the floor, where he reverted into a four-tentacled pile of vegetation. The neural disruptor fell from his desk drawer and clattered across the hardwood floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cHunter McGavin\u201d stood behind the unconscious mayor holding his own neural disruptor. \u201cI\u2019ve got to give you credit; your plan worked perfectly, Chuck,\u201d he said, reverting back into La\u2019Ath.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeck, I\u2019ve been in enough ambushes; I ought to know how to pull one off!\u201d Mills responded<\/p>\n

\u201cA<\/strong><\/span>re you sure you do not wish to come along? You could see things you can\u2019t even imagine!\u201d<\/p>\n

La\u2019Ath hoisted Doa\u2019Lah into the containment cell of his ship, which he had hidden a barn near Sheriff Mills\u2019 house. \u201cNaw. Dos Diablos needs me.\u201d The sheriff patted his horse on the nose. \u201cBesides, I couldn\u2019t leave ol\u2019 Clovis behind!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mills dug around in his saddlebag and flicked a metal star to La\u2019Ath. \u201c \u2019Course, I can\u2019t let you leave without saying thanks!\u201d La\u2019Ath looked at the inscription: \u201cDEPUTY SHERIFF DOS DIABLOS, ARIZONA.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will cherish it forever, my friend. Farewell\u2014and adios!\u201d Mills and Clovis watched the silver ship as it streaked into the desert sky and disappeared. After a moment, Mills turned his horse and headed back toward town.<\/p>\n

\u201cAliens. Space ships. Ray guns. If that don\u2019t beat all.\u201d Mills shook his head and laughed. \u201cC\u2019mon, Clovis; I think I got a carrot for you back at the house.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The two lawmen have a common problem: a dangerous criminal must be captured before he can harm any more innocents. It just so happens that one is a sheriff in Arizona circa 1890, while the other is a policeman from a distant galaxy. — ed, N.E. Lilly<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,5],"tags":[193],"media":[299],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1142,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions\/1142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87"},{"taxonomy":"media","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?post=87"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}