Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-03-16

IL snail be as glad 10 20 MS you cnn
be to have me- rcjoincd De Spain.
But That won't be thanking you MS |
am going to. II you think you cut.
save my lie and refuse my thanks as
| mean TO express them-you are mis-
taken. will be perfectly honest Ly-
ine out here isn't Just what iii choose
! for comfort. But II by doing 1t |
|, could see You once IN two or three
days"
You won't see me again"
mo news could be worse. And II
|, can't, I don't know how I'm going
to get ont NJ all. I've no horse you
, know that. can't stand on my foot
yet II you had II light you might Sce
FOR yourself think showed you my
gun II You could tell me where |
am"
He halted on the implied question.
Nan took ample time to reply.
40 you mean to tell me you don't
know whore you are?" she asked, and
there was Il touch OF vexcd incredibly
in her tone.
De Spain seemed unmoyed by her
SteptiriSm Il can't tell you anything
else" he Said simply "You couldn't
have any idea erawled UP here for
the fun Of IT.
i've been trying 10 think" she re-
turned, and he perceived IN the hard.
ness Of her voice how At hay She felt
IA giving HIN the least bit Of infor-
nation whether | ought 10 tell YOU
anything at all
u couldn't very dccently take any
unfair advantage after what you've
done. could Il"
"rhcn-you are in Morgans gap"
She said, swiftly, rs If She wanted It
on her mind.
There was no movement OF surprise,
neither was there any answer. Il
supposed, when | found you here, you
hucW that" She added less resolutcly;
the darkness and silence were plainly
strain. You nre ut the foot Of Mu-
Sic mountain, about mile from where
live
You must have thought meant to
rnd yogr house didn't was hit.
got mixed W In trying to get away.
You want me out of hercT
VERY much
"No unre lhan want 10 get out.
Perhaps BY tomorrow | could walk
few miles | should have 70 assassl.
nate somebody to get some ammunl-
ton"
at wouldn't be hard for you to do
that ! presume
Her words and her tone revealed the
intensity " her dislike and the depth
OF her dlstruSt.
lie was silent for a moment. Then
he suid, without resentment, You are
ashamed already Of saying that, aren't
your
NO, | am not" she answered de-
family.
Yes, you are. You know II isn't
true. Ii you believed Il, you never
would have brought food here 70 saye
my llfe.
Il brought II 10 save some Of my
own people from possible denth ut
your hands-to prevent another fight
TO See II you hadn't manhood enough
after being helped, TO 90 away, when
you were able 10 move, peaceably. one
cartridge might mean one life, dear
TO me"
u know whose life you mean"
You know nothing about what /
mean"
Il know better than you know your
self. If | believed you, | shouldn't
respect you. Fear and mercy are TWO
different things. II ! thought you
were only afraid Of me. | shouldn't
think much Of your aid. Llsteu-I
never took the llfe Of any man except
to defend my own
NO murderer that ever took any
body's life In this country ever said
anything but that"
Don't class me with murderers.r
You are known from one end Of the
country to The other as gunman.'
He answered lmpasslyely: "Dld
these men who call ME gunman ever
tell you why I'm onef" She seemed
in too hostile a mood TO answer. Il
guess not, he went on. Let me tell
you now. The next time you hear mo
called u gunman you can tell them"
Il won't listen. she exclaimed, res
tive.
Yes, you will listen" he said qul.
city; you shah hear every word My
father brought sheep into the Pence
river country The cattIemen picked
on him TO make IN example OF. lie
went out, unurmcd. one night to take
care of the horses. My mother heard
two shots. lie didn't come buck. She
went 10 look for him. lie was lying
under the corral gate with q hole
smashed through his Jaw by a rifle
bullet that tore his head half off. De
Spain did not raise his voice nor did
he hasten his words. 81 was born
one night SIX months after that" he
continued MY mother died that
night. When neighbours wife took ,
me from her arm and wrapped me In
blanket, she saw carried the face
of my father as my mother had seen
1t the night he was murdered. That"
he said lis what made ME 'gunman.'
Not whlsky-not women-not cards
just what you've heard. And I'll tell
you something else you may tell the
men that call me gunman. The man
that shot down my father at his corral
gate | haven't found yet. | expect 10
find him. For ten years I've been get
ting ready to find him. He is here
In these mountains. don't even
know his name. But II live, I'll find
him. And when do, I'll tear open his
head with soft bullet In the way he
tore my fathers open. After | get