Deadlock — James Reasoner

A man had to have sand in his craw to live out on the frontier, even in a settlement, and Judge Earl Stark proves he has plenty when he walks right into a lynching. Billy Thorp, the son of Jud Thorp, the big he-wolf of the area was arrested for murder. Billy became a little too fast with the gun when he shot an unarmed man. The townsmen, tired of Thorp's heavy handedness, decided to take matters into their own hands. So it was up to Judge Stark to bring justice to the small West Texas town. 7,000 word story was originally published in Guns of the West.