The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-12-16
CATTLE KINGDOM

Gilt, dllo tOSSCa SAlC 4Oal III S1lCh
after the others into the dark.
The one remaining shell was in
the gun. He stretched lazily,
yawned deeply to the bottom of his
great lungs; and fired his last shell
against the iron door.
Up the hill from the sheriff's
house came the sound of running
feet; the sound stopped outside, and
the big keys to the steel door clat-
tered at their locks. This was fol-
lowed by brief pause and low
voiced conference; Dunn recognized
Link Bender's voice and spasm Of
regret shook him for the lost shells.
Horse Dunn stood up, thrusting
the hand which held the derringer
into the front of his shirt. With his
free hand he gripped bar of his
cell high up, and let his knees sag
down and his head fall on his chest
as the door swung wide.
Walt Amos came into the open
door, gun in one hand, lantern in
the other. Dunn made his voice
strangle in his throat as he gasped
-"Amos-in Gods name"
The young sheriff sprang forward,
holstering his weapon. How in all
hell" He fumbled for key from
his belt, chartered it at the door of
the inner cell. ''Who got you? Man,
can you speak?" Amos set the lam
tern down, swung the inner door;
and the snub-nosed derringer that
could cut men in two was in his
stomach, and Dunn's great fist was
clamped on the gun butt for which
Amos snatched.
Reach" Dunn said; and the
sheriff's hands went up. Horse
jerked the sheriff's gun, an d
tossed it Gathering into the shad-
ows. He turned the sheriff, gripped
him by the back of the belt, and
nosed the empty derringer into his
back.
He kicked the lantern light into a
black shatter, and his voice turned
savage as he showed the sheriff
ahead of him into the door OPEN
ing. ''Now, you out there-how
about letting drive at this door?
Before / wake you up with a shot or
two under his arml"
Walt Amos sung out in a CHASTITY
voice, 'For Gods sake take care
yourselves! He's got me cold!"
Outside, three figures moved
abruptly in the clear light of the
risen moon; Dunn saw and knew
Halliday and Caldwell, but had not
time to recognize the third, who
raced to take cover around the cor
ner of the jail He supposed this
was Link Bender. He heard Halli-
day swear, and Sam Caldwell called
out a sharp order to the third man.
Halliday shouted, "Walt, grapple
him!" And Caldwell's thick, sardon-
ic voice said from shadows into
which he had disappeared, "Grap-
pie him yourself, you fool"
Horse Dunn sidled along the wall
of the Jail, weaving the sheriff's
lurching and stumbling figure be-
tween himself and the general loca-
ton of Sam Caldwell. Walt Amos
called out, Link, look out! He's
coming round the Jail"
"You got CUTS, kid" Horse Dunn
said He got around the Jail, backed
over the crest of the hill. He wished
that he knew where Link Bender
had gone. Of them all, Link Bend
er was the fox. Just over the crest
was the long adobe wall of store
house long since ruined He got
his back against the remains of this
wall, and here rested, for he had
been almost carrying the sheriff
with one hand.
For moment or two then the
night was very still. His eyes were
searching shadows, trying to spot
his enemies. But what came to his
mind then was that the breeze from
the desert was fresh and sweet, and
very precious in his lungs; and the
moonlight that betrayed him was
very lovely. And he saw again the
light of just such a blue-silver moon
as this, that had once played curious
tricks as it wavered in the pale
hair of the woman who had be-
come Marian's mother.
Suddenly Walt Amos twisted like
mountain lion, and his back was
strong as the back of young horse.
Horse smashed out overland with
the gun butt in his fist, and Amos
went down as if felled by the blow
of silvertip, and lay quiet.
Dunn half turned; and from the
end of the adobe wall flame squirt
ed to the roar of forty-ive.
Horse Dunn fattened himself
against the adobe, and his knees
bent; the old derringer almost
slipped from his fingers, but he
caught it and held it tight. Slowly
he slid down until he was crouched
upon one knee. He was waiting,
gathering all his strength. He knew
then that if some freak of luck gave
him one more chance at his enc
mics, he would not be able to carry
through the promise he had made
himself in Marian's name
A figure moved along the shadow
of the adobe, coming closer, eau
tiously. That would be Link Bend
er. The old fighter could no longer
judge distances very well. He wait
ed as long as he dared, in his ebbing
strength.
Suddenly Horse Dunn rose straight
upward on his heels, hurled the
empty derringer in Bender's face,
and lunged forward. His big hands
CROPPED in thickening darkness for
his enemy's gun arm.
A gun was talking, and a second
gun, and a third, filling the night
with battle uproar. Horse Dunn
stood straight up, staggered back
ward two steps, found the support of
the adobe wall; then folded at the
knees and went down slowly, his
fingers gripping at the adobe bricks.