“For issuing a bum check, for obtaining property under false pretenses, and probably a couple of other charges.”

“I’m not going back to Yuma,” I said.

“I think you are.”

I reached down and twisted the ignition key. “I know my rights,” I said. “I’m in California. You can’t take me back across into Arizona without extradition.”

“Oh,” he said. “Like that, is it?”

“If you want to make it that way.”

He nodded. “All right, brother. You want to go to El Centro. Go ahead. We’re going there. Keep within the legal limit. I’ll be right behind you. Forty-five’s the legal limit. I’ll allow you fifty. At fifty-one I start shooting out your tires. Do you get me?”

“You can’t arrest me without a warrant,” I said.

“That’s what you think. Get out. I’m going to frisk you.”

I sat tight behind the wheel. He put one foot on the running board, shot his left hand out and hooked his fingers in the collar of my shirt. “Come on out,” he said, holding the gun menacingly in his right hand.

I came out.

He patted me, looking for weapons, then looked through the car.

“Remember,” he said, “both hands on the wheel. No funny stuff. If you want to be extradited, you’ll sure as hell be extradited.”

“I don’t like your manner,” I said, “and I resent this high-handed invasion of my rights. I—”

“Get started,” he interrupted.

I got started. We drove into El Centro, and he took me to the sheriff’s office. I was left in charge of a deputy while the officer and the sheriff did some talking. Then I heard them telephoning. After that, I was taken down to the jail. The sheriff said, “Listen, Smith, you’re a nice looking chap. You’re not gaining anything by pulling a stunt like this. Why don’t you go back and face the music. You may be able to square it.”

I said, “I’m not talking.”

“All right,” he warned, “if you want to be smart.”

“I want to be smart,” I said.

They put me in a tank with four or five other prisoners. I didn’t do any talking. When supper was served, I didn’t do any eating. Shortly after supper, the sheriff came back again and asked me if I’d waive extradition. I told him to go to hell and he went out.

I stayed in the tank for two days. I ate some of the grub. It wasn’t too bad. The heat was awful. I didn’t have a newspaper and didn’t know what was going on in the world. They took me out of the tank and put me in a cell by myself. I had no one to talk to.