The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-12-10
''I'm not so sure it's a surprise"
You'll stay here, sir"


I'm not so sure it's surprise
You'll stay here, sir"
mo-"
Constable Dillon spoke with cool
logic: IF it's a surprise, I need no
assistance. If he is warned and pre-
pared to resist, better for you to sup
port me from cover"
"Well-perhaps."
'The only way, sir. You stood re-
i sponsible for bringing the young
| lady,"
That clinched the argum e n
against Garth. Having brought the
willful girl with him, he now had to
look out for her.
Every well, Dillon" he agreed.
"Wait till I take position"
He shifted to the left side of the
stunted spruce and crouched down
where he could peer between the
lower branches At the other side,
the constable stood up and stepped
out into the open. Hardly was he
clear of cover when harsh shout
, came from the scrub beside the fire:
Halt! Throw up your hands,"
Garth caught the menace in HuX-
by's voice, and leveled his rifle.
There was nothing of the four-flush-
er about the engineer. He was a
coldblooded killer.
Constable Dillon paused. But he
did not put up his hands. The North
west police do not surrender. Dillon
merely swung the barrel of his car
bine backward under his arm, and
made quiet reply:
81 have here warrant for the ar
rest of Vivian Hubby for theft and
assault to murder. Any persons who
interfere with his arrest will make
themselves liable"
bah, you cock-capped red jay,you
can't bluff me-" Hubby gibed. "You
are covered. Move, and you get a
bullet through you. Drop that gun
and shove up your hands"
A sideward jumping down-thrown
would have put the constable back
in cover. But he was member of
the Northwest mounted police. Re-
treat could no more be considered
by him than surrender. Also, he had
no authority to shoot his man. The
warrant called only for the arrest of
the accused. He had to do his duty
at whatever risk.
"You will be well advised not to
resist" he said.
With that,he raised his right snow
shoe and slid it up low cross-drift
in a forward step. AS he bent for
ward to bring up the other web, a
rifle roared in the dense scrub.
Garth fired into the faint haze
puff of smokeless powder. Back
came bullet that clipped branch
at his left elbow. He shifted side
ways towards the tree trunk, and
rose to peer through higher open
ing. A slight movement of spruce
spray in the scrub brought his rifle
to his shoulder. He paused a moment
to per over the sights, his finger
kissing the trigger.
Another twitch of that spruce
twig. His finger frightened on the
trigger-Crash! He hurled down on
his right side. The first thought that
flashed into his mind was that his
rifle had burst His right arm had
gone numb as if broken by the
shock.
Luckily, he: did not at once try to
spring up. AS he paused to feel at
the numb arm with his left hand, the
bark flew from limb close over his
head. The scar of white wood show
ed that the bullet had been fired
from off to his. left.
He flattened down and crawled
into the snowless hollow alongside
the tree trunk. In the hollow was his
rifle. It had not burst But that was
no consolation. The first shot from
off to the left had struck square
against the side of the breach and
smashed the magazine
One look at the weapon showed
that it was ruined. He wormed past
it to the far side Of the tree trunk.
During all the many seconds that
had passed since tine firing of the
first shot, he had heard no call nor
any sound whatever from Constable
Dillon. He peered out under the low
dropped spruce boughs on that side
of the tree.
AS he expected, the worst had
happened. The policeman lay on his
back. He had been shot through the
heart. One glance told Garth the
fact that his companion was beyond
all aid.