Free A Coffin Full Of Dollars by Joe Millard

cooperation."
    The sheriff glared at the poncho-covered back, his small eyes glittering. His hand moved to the butt of his gun, then reluctantly dropped away. He turned abruptly and stamped into his office.
    The bounty hunter strolled on along the street in the direction opposite to where he had left his horse. Ahead was a squat, square adobe building with small, barred windows. It resembled a prison but a sign identified it as the FIRST BANK OF HANGVILLE.
    Clearly the bank had prospered, since it was in the process of being enlarged by the addition of a wing. An opening had been cut through the side wall, then boarded over with heavy oak planking. Outside this, workmen were in the process of erecting the frame of the new wing. Beyond stood huge piles of sun-baked adobe bricks.
    Two heavily armed guards were posted in front of the boarded-up opening. In addition to their pistols, one carried a rifle cradled across his left arm, the other a shotgun. Both weapons lifted sharply as the bounty hunter cut across from the opposite side of the street for a closer look. He stopped, looking up at carpenters on a scaffold.
    The guard with the shotgun growled, "You, there, fella. Move along down the street. We got strict orders not to let nobody loiter here."
    The hunter made no move to obey but continued to stand with his head tipped back, watching the workmen above. In his own good time he turned his face toward the guards.
    "I want to see how they hoist that heavy roof timber into place. Is there some kind of law in this town against watching workmen do a tricky job?"
    "There is for this job, wise guy. This here is bank property and the bank makes its own laws. Until this hole gets all closed up proper and permanent, that's exactly how it's goin' to be. So just pick up them feet and mosey to hell along without no more argument. Savvy?"
    His companion snarled, "That don't mean next week. We was told to get as tough as necessary with anybody that looks suspicious, and mister, you sure as hell fit that description all the way."
    Behind the hunter there was a pound of heavy boots on the plank sidewalk and both his wrists were seized in vise-like clutches. The man holding his right wrist was Sheriff Ben Hipson. The one on his left was even more massively built and had a deputy's badge pinned to his shirt.
    "This buzzard giving you boys trouble, Hack?" the sheriff demanded.
    "He's been givin' us a lot of lip, Sheriff, and he refused to move along when we told him to."
    "Not moving on when he's told to seems to be kind of a habit with him, but he'll move now." He glared at The Man With No Name but there was a glint of satisfaction in the pig eyes. "I gave you your chance, but you weren't bright enough to take it. So you're under arrest, Mister Whoever-You-Are."
    "On what charge, Sheriff?"
    "Not 'charge,' fellow—' charges . ' Refusal to obey an officer of the law, for a starter. Loitering, trespass, suspicious actions around a bank and making slanderous remarks about a citizen of the community, namely one Curley Bick. Oh, yes—when I grabbed your wrist you tried to pull loose. That's resisting arrest. If that ain't enough, I'll think up a few more on the way to jail. I'm locking you up for trial at the next session of court."
    "When will that be?" the hunter asked.
    The sheriff grinned. "I'd say the circuit judge ought to get around this way sometime in the next couple months."
    The hunter was jerked around and hauled roughly back up the street, both wrists still imprisoned in the grip of the two. They were strong men but he was certain he could break their holds and wrench his hands free. However, that was almost sure to lead to gunplay, and not only was there no bounties on sheriffs and deputies, but killing them could bring unpleasant reactions.
    The jail consisted of two dreary cells behind the sheriff's office. Both were unoccupied. As the sheriff swung one of the barred doors open, the deputy spoke for the first time.
    "Hell, Ben!