Selected as the second lost silent film reconstruction project, "When the Law Rides" was the first release in 1928 from FBO starring Tom Tyler and his pal Frankie Darro. One of the reasons this silent film was chosen was for the plethora of surviving movie posters, film stills, even arcade/exhibit cards which bore scenes of Tom – particularly one very interesting exhibit card which did not even have the silent film title on the face of the card. Nonetheless, the exhibit card remained identifiable, with an initial estimated film date of 1928 or 1929. In a blog article dated August 16, 2021, I describe the original source which gave away the silent film title, and Tom’s appearance in the still used in the green monochrome exhibit card matched a scene from the first chapter of “When the Law Rides”. This exhibit card identification was exciting enough for me, if only because of the way Tom Tyler was dressed – or soon to be undressed, as the film script originally called for it:

The bandit pointed Tom’s own gun at him. The bandit spoke:
"Well, now the law is in my hand; take off your clothes..."

The entire opening scene of the film takes place in a hot, dry desert of California, perhaps the Mojave, where many movies have been filmed since the earliest days of Hollywood. As to whether "When the Law Rides" actually was filmed here is unknown; the city of Victorville in San Bernardino County, right on the southwest edge of this desert, has been the filming location of at least two hundred silent films, as mentioned in the book "Westerns Filmed in Victor Valley" by Jerry Schneider. Among the silent films made in Victorville include: "Sand" (1920), "White Oak" (1921), and "Wild Bill Hickok" (1923), all which starred William S. Hart.

Nestled in the High Desert sub-region, Victorville seems like an ideal location for a silent film western like "When the Law Rides". The opening scene of the film depicts Tom Tyler crossing the hot, sandy desert on his horse, Flashlight. As a rural police inspector, his character Tom O’Malley in on assignment to a small town located on the other side of the desert. Encountering a bandit in the middle of the desert, Tom risks heat stroke and a certain death when a preacher with his daughter and young son traveling by wagon rescue him, and by luck, are headed to the same town where his destination is: Black Butte. There is indeed a real butte by the name of Black Butte in California, situated in Siskiyou County by Mount Shasta, nowhere near the Mojave Desert, where the story takes place. Such creative liberties have been standard since the inception of silent film; in this case, probably to create an atmosphere of realism in the story. To elaborate, the town of Black Butte in "When the Law Rides" is run by a criminal by the name of Snake Arnold, with Henry Blaine as his first in command. Arnold’s gang of men instill fear and intimidation in the local residents, especially those who dared to cross them. With so much crime and evil concentrated in one small area, it seemed ever to rise higher and higher forming a cone of destruction.

Released on February 26, 1928, filming most likely began at least a month earlier when the temperature was mild. "When the Law Rides" (1928) was directed by Robert De Lacey and written by Oliver Drake, who was Tom Tyler’s longtime friend ever since he arrived in Hollywood back in 1924. In fact, it was Tom who got Oliver a job as a screenwriter with FBO when the two young men were beginning their career in silent film. The subplot of religion is a perfect fit for Tom Tyler’s role in the film, something which appears again in “A Rider of the Plains” (1931). Unlike Tom’s being on the wrong side of the law in "A Rider of the Plains", his character in "When the Law Rides" is the catalyst for bringing justice to Black Butte, effectively ridding the town of its criminal forces.

One feature worth noting about "When the Law Rides" is the number of horse mounts that Tom Tyler executes throughout the film: Trooper mounts, pony express mounts, flying dismounts, and many other risky mounts which fascinate the viewer. One incredible stunt Tom performs is swinging from a rope tied to the balcony of a hotel and mounting Flashlight from the rear, twenty feet below from where he started.

A following translation note: Unlike the previous "Red Hot Hoofs" one, the Biblioteca Films booklet for "When the Law Rides" does not contain any chapter divisions. These divisions normally designate where one reel of 35mm film ends and the next one begins in a standard hour-length silent film consisting of five 35mm reels. Thus I have kept this translation as one continuous story minus the chapters.

Many thanks to Filmoteca de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain for the digitized version of Biblioteca Films "La Ley en la Mano" which includes film stills, Lantern Media History for synopses and reviews, and Newspapers.com for promotional materials on this Tom Tyler silent film. The four Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO), Chicago arcade and exhibit cards reproduced here are from my own physical Tom Tyler collection.

This translation of "La Ley en la Mano" is copyright Aventuras de Tom Tyler, 2021. No part of this translation, nor the Introduction, may be reproduced anywhere in any format. If you would like to link to this translation from your website, please contact me first at Aventurasdetomtyler_at_triggertom.com. Thank you! -Mary

The California desert was bathed under the scorching sun one morning, a treacherous death trap to all who risked traveling across it to reach civilization. In the past, many gold seekers traversed the hot, dry region in an attempt to find their fortune. Some men were lucky enough to escape the barren sands while others met their untimely death, bleached to the bone from the desert sun.

Only a few brave men now traveled across the desert, keeping to the designated route which led to the nearest town of Black Butte. The road was narrow and appeared half blurred in the distance, its shape in the form of evenly spaced waves over the desert mounds. Winds blew the dry sand over the road, sometimes making it difficult to determine the direction of the route. On the horizon the silhouette of a man on horseback came into view, increasing in size as he approaches. Tom O’Malley, rural police inspector, sat erect upon his horse as the sun slowly rose in the sky.

Tom was on an important mission which required him to travel the desert route, and while he certainly could take on any challenge which came his way, one thing he could not easily overcome was his increasing exhaustion from the heat and thirst. With his water flask near empty, he could only move on at a slow pace. Without water for himself and his horse, he was risking their lives. Growing to a near stop, Tom suddenly felt someone leap onto the back of his horse before knocking him on to the ground, the hot desert ground against his back. Tom suddenly found himself disarmed as he faced a mustachioed bandit wearing a black cowboy hat, white shirt with dark pinstripes, and jeans. The bandit pointed Tom’s own gun at him. The bandit spoke:

"Well, now the law is in my hand; take off your clothes..."

Tom raised both his arms into the air as he stared at the bandit, who had all the signs of shooting him at the slightest movement he made. Being a remote place where no witnesses were present, no one could demand an account of the bandit’s actions. Even though Tom was brave, his strength was lacking due to the heat and growing dehydration. The bandit would have killed him mercilessly, so Tom surrendered and executed, word for word, what was demanded of him.

Tom began to remove his clothes, taking off his scarf, shirt, and jeans. He was even forced to hand his inspector’s official badge over to his assailant, who started to remove his own clothes and forced Tom to change into them. Suddenly Tom got the idea that perhaps he could still carry out his mission while in disguise as a bandit. After all, might he have the opportunity to infiltrate a gang during his mission, in order to catch the ringleader? As unexpected as this incident was, the desert heat was starting to overtake him, and with the bandit wearing his clothes and police badge, Tom was only concerned about surviving. Slightly disoriented, Tom suddenly realized that the bandit stole more than his official badge and clothes; his horse was also in the process of being stolen, leaving Tom to wander along the road through the desert.

When the bandit finished tightening his belt and pistol, he mounted Tom’s horse before saying:

"What fun you are going to have when they catch you out there and find out that you are a bandit..."

With the bandit gone on his horse, Tom realized that by wearing the bandit’s clothes, he was in danger of being shot by his own companions, the other rural inspectors. He did not dwell upon these thoughts due to twilight arriving and shadows enveloping the desert which formed a terrifying appearance in his eyes. Crows cawed as they circled above his head, as if they were waiting for the right moment to devour him. Down on his knees, Tom dug a hole using his hands and snuggled up as best he could, in the hopes of staying safe during the night while asleep. Exhausted, Tom felt completely out of place, being an authority figure. Periodically keeping watch, Tom dozed in the nook and waited for dawn to come.

First light illuminated the desolate plains, which seemed more African than American due to the severe dry heat and dearth of vegetation. Tom crawled his way across the desert and within sight, approached a pool of water, thinking it might be a mirage. But the water was real, and thoughts of refreshing water inside his body became tempting until he noticed a sign nearby, with the following words written by some man’s hand: "This water is poisoned". Strewn nearby were the remains of men and horses who thought the water could be their only salvation, a means to stay alive until they reached Black Butte. One man who was slowly approaching death, incapacitated, spoke:

"You drink too and we'll both die...so we won't suffer so much!"

Tom felt pity for the dying man, but he had enough strength to control himself in not imbibing the poisoned water. In order to find something of a distraction instead of staring at the dying man, Tom reached into the pocket of the jacket he wore that belonged to the bandit. He felt a piece of paper, and pulling it out, decided to read it.

Mr. Henry Blaine.
Black Butte.
My very dear friend:

As a response to your request in order to fulfill your wishes, I am sending you "The Raven", as the bearer of this letter. Everyone knows the sinister reputation of this partner, who is up for anything, if you are not short on pay.

I guess I shouldn't be more explicit by letter. He is a man possessing a daunting presence.

         SAMUEL

Tom smiled with satisfaction, even though his situation became desperate as the critical hours passed.

"I won't get to Black Butte," he said to himself, "if only my horse was here ...!" Tom tried not to allow the torment of thirst and hot temperature get to him. After all, he had to stay level headed so that he could think clearly.

"But if I make it out alive ... The Raven will lose its claws and its beak!" said Tom, with an air of conviction.

Unlike the earlier pool of poisoned water, however, Tom found himself seeing a mirage consisting of lush vegetation and a stream of cool, potable water that would provide him with rest and water to quench his thirst...He gathered all his strength, summoned some energy and ran like a madman. But when he got there, the fountain and the shady trees had disappeared, realizing that what he saw was not real but rather a natural phenomenon so many men have seen over the centuries when traveling across a desert.

"By God", Tom thought, as he squeezed his eyes shut, could not drown out his sorrows. Was this to be the final end for him? Opening his eyes, he thought he saw another mirage, this time in the form of a wagon in the distance. Confined to crawling on his hands and knees, possessing no energy to stand upright, he prayed that help in some form finally arrived. Tom moved slowly towards the wagon, away from the crows circling above him. He bid them goodbye, saying:

"Now I do escape your clutches, desert crows, and as for the Raven...he will soon find out how I will deal with him!"

The travelers in the wagon spotted Tom and ran to his aid, gently helping him climb in. It was not just any family occupying the wagon, however. The driver was an Episcopalian pastor named Joshua Ross, with his daughter Becky, an unusually beautiful girl who, brought up by her father, had the purity of the lily and the fragrant aroma of country flowers. Accompanying them was a young boy named Frankie, a mischievous but vivacious little boy, whose wide eyes were innocent and possessed the adorable sense of familiarity that children have when they were brought up well. Joshua administered his water flask to Tom, who gratefully swallowed the refreshing liquid as he sat up in the wagon. Becky looked admiringly at Tom who, in all his bravery, looked every inch a hero for making it out of the desert alive, by the grace of God. The kindly pastor asked Tom:

"My good man, how have you risked crossing the desert without taking all the precautions?"

"I had taken all of them, but I, who am an inspector of the rural police, did not count on the treachery of a bandit; for the first time in my life I spent a few moments unsuspecting and confident, and I paid dearly for it..." Tom’s recollection stopped when the pastor made a sign of doubt. Tom continued:

"If you do not believe my words, leave me in the desert again..."

But the pastor replied favorably to Tom. "Well, there was no more for me to say; you need me, and I won't leave you until you can help yourself. I am headed to Black Butte, a town which I believe is in need of the Good Book."

Tom immediately reciprocated, remembering the letter in the jacket pocket and its mention of Black Butte. "You can count on my help, Father. Let me come with you and when I have my horse and my pistol again...there will be no one in this town who will ignore your sermons..."

Once Father Joshua Ross became convinced of Tom’s honesty, he decided to allow the unfortunate rural police inspector to accompany his family during their stay in Black Butte. As they traveled along, they approached the end of the desert road and the town could be seen in the distance.

They finally arrived at Black Butte, where Snake Arnold, owner of the local saloon who also managed the town at will, was the only recognized law in town. Henry Blaine was an accomplice of Arnold’s criminal maneuvers, which is, as it will be remembered to whom the letter was addressed that Tom found in the clothes of "The Raven" which served as an introduction to the bandit upon his arrival in Black Butte.

Frankie listened with delight to the stories Tom shared with him, because he did not have the aspirations of his clergy-minded father. The little boy wanted to be a cowboy, handle the lasso and the horse and be the king of the rodeos and country fairs, winning all the prizes.

Immediately after his arrival in Black Butte, Father Joshua selected the portion of the central street which seemed to get heavy traffic, people who might show an interest in hearing the word of the Lord. A modest parquet was raised for the pastor to stand on while he preached. But when Arnold and Blaine realized that people were leaving the saloon to give their attention to the pastor, they became displeased. It seemed like the saloon patrons were more interested in the novelty of listening to a sermon like a religious revival. What began as a small group gathered around Father Joshua grew. Finally, Arnold stepped forward resolutely, and taking the pastor by the arm, forced him to descend from his makeshift parquet while speaking in a shrill and challenging voice:

"Make music elsewhere, shepherd of souls; here we don't need your sermons."

But Tom was present, who, restored and put back in shape by the food and care that the pastor gave him, was forced by his dignity and gratitude to intervene in the matter. Fighting Arnold with his fists was a game for him. With one leap, making his way through the group of onlookers, Tom stood next to Arnold, and, twisting his wrist, forced him to let go of the pastor. When Arnold turned to hit him, Tom took advantage of his opponent’s move before forcing the town bully to jump on his back then abruptly landing on the ground.

Arnold’s state of helplessness lying on his back was taken advantage of by Tom who then snatched his gun away from him and took control of it. When Arnold got up after Tom let him free, he took two direct hits to his stomach from Tom that made his stomach sore for a couple of weeks.

Arnold did not lack the spontaneous congratulations of the saloon boys, whom Arnold had terrified with his bravado. Everywhere Tom heard as he passed through Black Butte:

"Well, boy, in ten years no one had dared take on Snake Arnold!"

After the people in town witnessed Tom O’Malley put Arnold in his place, they were no longer in fear of the saloon owner or his men, which made the stay in town for Joshua Ross and his family. Frankie even played with the other boys his age, often asking for information about the rural life and specifically, cowboys. In the meantime, Tom was determined to track down Henry Blaine at all costs. He asked around and was directed to the saloon. Upon receiving this information, Tom walked over to the saloon and stood inside the entrance. Everyone in the place fell silent as they looked at the new man in town who punched out Snake Arnold.

"Who is Blaine?" Tom asked a man sitting by the door.

"That one," replied the Native American man. He watched Tom move across the room in Blaine’s direction. Blaine remained seated at a table, while the man next to him said:

"This is the meddler who has punched out Arnold in defense of the new pastor in town. He looks like he could rip a man apart." Blaine did not say anything upon hearing these words. Without missing a beat, Tom walked up to Blaine and said:

"I am the one you are waiting for." Tom reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the letter bearing Blaine’s name, and signed by Samuel. He handed it over to Blaine for him to read. Blaine read it carefully and looked at Tom up and down. The examination satisfied Blaine and he smiled in a welcoming way. Playing at Blaine’s level, Tom spoke:

"Well, as soon as I'm not well received, I'm determined to shoot down the entire town en masse and open an extension of the cemetery on every street..." This was the best greeting he could give to those of suspicious character as those who frequented the saloon.

"Precisely," said Blaine, "I was saying that I wanted the gang to be here and you were already a guest of the town. Because I'm afraid that one of these days the rural officer will arrive and you need to have someone ready to receive him with dignity."

"Well, here you have me," said Tom, "and you can see that I have introduced myself, saluting in my style as a fighter."

Blaine was satisfied with what he heard. "Would you care to tell me why you decided to defend that pastor you arrived with?"

Tom replied: "None; it was only a ruse for them to begin to know the fear in this town."

Blaine thoughtfully considered Tom’s words before he replied. "It is the only thing that remains for me and Arnold to rule the town, which we have already achieved in a matter of a few days. When the rural inspector arrives, you will take care of him...convince him that there is no solution to what takes place in this town."

"The rural inspectors," said Tom, pretending admirably, "are my specialty. Not two days ago I left one in the desert, dying of thirst...he can no longer hinder anyone!"

The conversation between Tom and Blaine was interrupted by a group of people who formed around Frankie Ross, who was fighting with three of the most unruly kids in town. Tom separated them as best he could and tried to calm them down, since two of the kids had bloody noses, the result of Frankie’s punches.

"Why are you fighting?" asked Tom. "Did you think that we have come to town to set up a boxing academy?"

"No," said Frankie; "But they have insulted me by telling me that I was a church dog, and I have replied that I was tougher than they, and since my words did not convince them, they threw mud and stones at me so I replied with my fists..."

Tom smiled, satisfied to see that that little boy did not know fear either; but he advised Frankie to use physical fighting as a last resort and not be impetuous when responding to the words of those his own age. While Tom appreciated being a pal to Frankie, his mind was more on the boy’s older sister Becky. For him, Becky’s eyes, were beacons that pointed to a port of hope and salvation that still seemed far away. She said goodbye to Frankie and Tom before walking to the outskirts of Black Butte in order to escape the lively activity in favor of sitting under some trees. Her retiring demeanor at the time changed the way Tom thought about her now, for he saw her as industrious, taking care of her home, her father and Frankie. In short, Tom had an illusion about Becky that he believed would be possible to become a reality, himself being included.

Yet reality itself was only a few steps away from him. Becky left her peaceful time by the trees to go out and do some shopping as she walked around town, feeling secure and convinced that no one was going to mess with her anymore. Indeed she was, because everyone watched her with respect as she walks by them, no leers from the men in town disturbing her. In a town as small as Black Butte, news traveled fast without the need for a newspaper, and everyone already knew that Tom O’Malley was ready to defend Becky.

Before she realized it, Becky found herself standing in front of Tom, as the path crossed the trees where he was sitting. Gallant, he arose to greet her and invited her to sit down with him, a gesture without a word that needed saying, but she was reticent.

"Are you afraid of my company?" Tom asked her.

Becky replied, "No, what I fear is other people gossiping."

"Is it a crime to be seen with a man?" Tom was curious now, wondering why she responded like this.

Without hesitation Becky continued. "No; but they could say that we love each other...that we live together..."

"They would not lie if they said we loved each other," Tom said with intention. "I believe for my part, that they would only reflect the truth."

"Do you love me?" Becky replied, stunned at what Tom was saying.

"Indeed I do," Tom spoke gently. A moment of silence transpired between them.

"I guess I do love you, Tom."

"Thank you, Becky, because you have been able to tell from the way I speak of you, all the love that my soul treasures that overflows my heart."

Becky smiled demurely. "With what fire do you speak! I thought you were only serving to deal punches; but I see that you are quite a poet."

"In every man of heart, in every man who fights gallantly, there is always a poet, because there is beauty in life when you love someone and poetry is nothing but a form of beauty."

"You speak like a professor of philosophy and fine science."

"There is no science more beautiful than love, which is the compendium of all life." Tom spoke honestly.

"But," said Becky, "where have you learned all this?"

"It has sprung up in my spirit when I fell in love with you. I have read it in your eyes, in these eyes that I would like to always look at me with love." Never had more sincere words Tom spoken to a lady.

"And you think it is difficult to achieve it," said Becky, savoring the pleasure of feeling loved.

"I don't think it's impossible," said Tom; "because the sincerity of my love must oblige you to reciprocate with all the strength of your soul, a young woman born to love."

"Yes," said Becky; "Since I have never set my sights on a man, I now find an extraordinary pleasure in talking to you, in having you by my side."

Tom smiled at her words. "This is love, Becky, and this feeling depends on the illusion that I have in our future."

"But, nevertheless, there are so many difficulties to overcome," Becky said.

"Yes, I am sure that you love me; our difficulties will all be defeated as if by magic. I can count on your assurance that it is the danger that I am running from, will you remember?" Tom held her hands.

"Yes," Becky said, while she abandoned one of her hands between Tom's.

The moment called for Tom to know how to take advantage of it, as he linked his right arm around Becky at the waist, drew her towards him and left a kiss on her lips, which resulted in a spark that resounded like a song of victory, of the eternal victory of love and pleasure over the woman’s shyness.

But, while Tom and Becky were in sweet ecstasy, not far from their location, a decisive plot was being hatched against them at the saloon.

It appears that Tom’s true identity has been discovered by one of Snake Arnold’s men, who knew that he did not fit the personality nor appearance of "The Raven". Tom’s suspect ran off, looking for Arnold and Blaine, and said:

"I have the information to establish the true personality of this man who calls himself 'The Raven', which he is not. You must know that he is nothing but an officer of the rural areas."

Blaine and Arnold looked at each other dumbfounded for a moment. Then Arnold, who no longer felt safe nor secure with Tom’s presence in town, said:

"Well, well; we already have in an instant planned the most audacious coup of our life...and that will be one of the good ones that will get a reward for us." Arnold gathered his gang members in the saloon around him in a circle. "Listen, friends," he said, drawing their attention away from the drinks they were nursing. The bandit who imparted the news to Arnold spoke to the crowd what he just told his boss: that Tom O’Malley was a rural police inspector. Everyone fell silent, curious at how a man like Tom could so easily pass himself off, infiltrate Snake Arnold’s gang as it were, to deceive them. Finally Arnold spoke in a tone that resembled a general revealing to his troops the battle plan that will give them the final victory:

"Since Tom O’Malley pretends to be ‘The Raven’, we will let him and we will even help him to act as such. Simply the robbery of the National Bank that we had planned to take place in a few days, we will execute it tonight."

"Bravo!" Spoke the greedy band, faithful to their boss.

"Hush," said Arnold, "let me continue. We will strike, and tomorrow morning we will take advantage of the excitement and mood that this incident will produce in town, we will hang this officer passing as ‘The Raven’, and when the rural inspectors arrive to find him, even when they discover the truth, cannot bring him back to life, if they find him hanging from one of the trees in town."

"Great," Blaine said. "This time you have won me over for cleverness, you have had an idea that not even Napoleon himself could conceive...Hooray for Arnold!" he said.

"Hurray!" They all replied, and all the details of the plan were finalized, which was to take place in the early hours of the morning.

Meanwhile, Tom bid farewell to Becky and went in search of the pastor, to whom he said:

"Father Joshua, the time has come for you to begin exercising your sacred ministry. I am willing to accompany you this afternoon to the saloon, where we will preach, and no man will interrupt us. You already know that you can count on my fists and my pistols," Tom spoke firmly.

The pastor looked fondly at Tom, as if he were a member of his own family. "My son, I cannot refuse your invitation, since I see your work is for God’s cause, including those who do not deserve your sacrifice."

So it was, then, that Father Joshua, Tom and Sparky, a nickname that they jokingly gave Frankie which he enjoyed, headed for the saloon, because it was Tom’s idea, after all. Upon entering through the doors of the establishment, everyone present looked at them and became curious. However, since the patrons already knew how Tom dealt with the bad guys, no one dared to block his way.

Tom stood with his back to the counter, after forcing those behind him to come out from the other side, to avoid any surprise attacks. Then he ordered:

"Shut up, everyone, I have to talk to you about something very serious!"

Everyone was silent, and some of the men smiles with skepticism, ready to challenge anything Tom might say to them. Tom spoke:

"Honored listeners, and for the record, I'm not saying it in cunning manner about being honest. I have come here to accompany the pastor who wishes to speak to you, which, because it is his will, is also God's will. I hope this sermon will not have to become a funeral, as I believe that no one will dare to disturb you. In addition, if so, there would be an event involving guns," Tom said, taking out his two pistols and placing them on the table that served as a pulpit.

Then he continued, serene and impassive:

"The word of God will grant you more benefits than all the money that you have been able to obtain in your robberies and looting, and you will see as if you still have money you will give it as alms, since heaven gives you the greatest reward. But all this will be better said by the pastor, to whom I give that place now."

Tom stepped aside for Father Joshua to take over and begin his sermon. As soon as he began speaking, a silence fell over the saloon in such a manner that a dropped pin could be heard.

It was the mention of God that dominated them and the promise that there would be gun action, which kept them in silent respect. However, Arnold whispered to Blaine:

"You'll see how this amateur altar boy finds the reward tomorrow...which will be the noose around his neck..."

Father Joshua finished the sermon and retired with the august majesty of the one who had done his duty as a good shepherd, delivering one of the most important sermons of his vocation in a place that was desperate for salvation. Once he returned to his temporary residence, along with Tom, Becky rushed out to meet them, saying:

"How I worried about you, fearing that something would happen from those bandits!"

Joshua smiled at Becky. "You have no need to worry, my daughter. We were sure nothing would happen to us, because they have a fear of Tom that would give them a sense for divine justice."

They dined in peace enjoying each other’s company and while Tom directed incendiary glances to Becky and she returned his, as a promise of a future day when love would unite them in marriage. Frankie entertained himself by tossing the noose to a chair, since Tom trained him in the cowboys' country arts, which the boy imitated with great mastery.

The night closed, and while the pastor and Frankie headed to bed, Tom and Becky wandered outside for a few moments in the garden to renew their feelings for each other as they kissed. The first hours of that memorable night passed quickly. At midnight, some men on horseback stopped at the entrance to the village. It was a squad of rural inspectors, seeking to find out what happened to Tom O’Malley. The chief told the sergeant:

"Today the assignment requested by Tom O'Malley expires. If tomorrow, at dawn, he has not returned, or has shown signs of life, we will begin the investigations. Tonight we will camp here, in hopes of without being seen in the town, as agreed."

Indeed, this was the case when Tom requested to carry out the mission that he was entrusted with, to find out if it was true that the Arnold and Blaine gang dominated the town of Black Butte. Tom established a period of a few days so that the town would be absolutely free from Arnold’s control.

But the anxious inspection leaders had chosen the senior lieutenant present so that at the right moment he would act quickly with the investigation.

Around two o'clock in the morning a sudden, powerful explosion rumbled in the quiet town. It was Arnold's gang who had blown up the powerful door to the safe in the bank, and it did not take long for them to raid the money and gold stored in the safe. Hearing the explosion, Tom darted out of bed and headed for the bank. He could only see a group that was fleeing at full gallop on horseback around the corner of the building.

While he was examining the bank, the rural inspectors arrived who were at the gates of the town.

Unknown to Tom, two of Arnold’s henchmen bound and gagged him from behind, making it impossible for him to fight back against them. Bells rang out. Gunshots rang out in all directions and the entire gang shouted, forming a group around Tom who was bound and gagged:

"We have him! This is the thief...this one! Let's hang him!"

Scanning the group of men, the chief of the rural inspectors made his way, pistol in hand, who soon spotted Tom and released him.

At that moment, Frankie arrived on his little pony, which he had gotten hold of by taking him out of a neighboring stable, where he always kept his eye on the pony. He was barely visible in the shade, but his shrill voice was heard in the darkness:

"Mr Lieutenant Rural Inspector, there are some men there near Puente Street distributing money...go and arrest them!"

When Frankie ran towards the place of the shooting, he had passed by the group of men and saw them. The senior lieutenant left two of his men to watch over the unruly bandits and, followed by the people en masse, went to the outskirts of town. One of the lieutenant’s horses yielded to Tom, who mounted the animal in a spectacular manner before taking the lead.

By surprise the rural inspectors met up with the group of bandits, among whom Arnold and Blaine were claiming the best part of the bank’s loot and tied them up. Tom told them:

"Inspectors, I beat Arnold’s men at their own game and I have recovered the money that they stole from the bank. Now you can decorate the trees in town with all of his henchmen."

During the raid Arnold's gang were taken to a safe place. News began to circulate through town and as the citizens hated the terrible gang because of the fear they were subjected to, cries began to sound:

"Let Arnold and his men be executed right now! Long live Tom O’Malley! Long live the rural police inspectors!"

In the official report promptly raised by the inspectors during the early hours of the morning, all the points of the process of justice were established regarding the fate of Snake Arnold, Blaine, and the gang that terrorized the originally tranquil western town of Black Butte. All men involved in the robberies and murders that took place would receive their just desserts.

When he was ready to head back to his office with the entire group of outlaws in tow, the senior lieutenant said to Tom:

"Your actions have been truly heroic. I know that you almost perished in the desert and that only with the help of someone have you managed to meet Snake Arnold’s gang and rid Black Butte of their control. You will receive a substantial reward for this." The senior lieutenant inspector smiled and shook Tom’s hand.

"The best reward," replied Tom, "is her," as he pointed to Becky standing near him who, blushing, lowered her eyes.

For Tom O’Malley, love would be the best prize!

This translation of "La Ley en la Mano" is copyright Aventuras de Tom Tyler, 2021. No part of this translation, nor Introduction, may be reproduced anywhere in any format.

2021 Aventuras de Tom Tyler