The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-11-11

old man; he ran his hands over his
face, shook his head like a fighter
trying to clear away the effects OF
a killing right cross.
Coffee did not speak and for lit
tie while Wheeler also sat silent,
trying to compile how much he
wished to say. Coffee" he said
at last, II see it. I see it all"
Coffee took his pipe out of his
mouth and looked at Wheeler. Gall
what?"
81 know who fired on Marian"
Hell, son, you had that figured
out last time seen you, two hours
ago." Coffee glanced at the stars
which he used as a clock. 1.-TWO
hours and fifteen minutes" he cor
rected himself.
II had the wrong reason" Wheel
! r said; "this time I know. And
knowing that, I know now why Bob
Flagg had forenotice that he was
near his end. And I can prove it
ALL"
Old Man Coffee started to say,
You sound like you was full Of"
but he hesitated and studied Billy
Wheeler sidelong through the thin
dark. Answer me one thing. son, "
ne said at last. what was the
thing that showed you the killer
trail?"
1T was two things, Coffee,
Wheeler said; mot one. Two kind
of trivial-looking things, that knew
and then forgot. But as soon as
saw t,e meaning of one of them,
right away saw the meaning of the
other. Like as if the two clues
were tied together by the neck.
Coffee, Marian doesn't know a thing
in the world about this. But the
first thing that come to me was
something I remembered that she
SAID. You remember after"
:; STOP" said Old Man Coffee.
So sharply had the old man COM
manded him that Wheeler at first
thought Coffee was listening to
some distant sound. whats the
matter?"
1--we heard enough"
''Then,' Haid Billy Wheeler, you
know the answer too?"
1--WE kind of suspected it there
many days. l didn't know for sure
until today
do you think anyone els e
knows?"
''Son, I'm virtually certain that
no one in the world knows but you
and me-"
You must have come at it diff
ferently than l did, Coffee
Different than you,'' Coffee
.g:e u. Cod knows how you come
at it. l don't want to know. In a
minute now I'm going to say no
more. But nobody else in the Red
Rock could have found it out ex-
CATTLE KINGDOM-THREE
cept maybe Cayuse Cayetano-and
he's dead"
They sat silent for little time.
whats the next move?' Wheel
er presently asked.
Until you spoke" Coffee said,
81 knew what my next move was
going to be. My next move was
going to be out. But now that you've
come onto the right trail, guess
maybe it's kind of up to me to
stand by a little while, until l see
what you do"
Something in Old Man Coffee's
voice bothered Wheeler. "You
mean we're not working together,
them"
Seems like we might not be-,
con. I'm an old man; and l long
ago learned that sometimes it's a
good idee to leave sleeping dogs
lie"
"You mean, you'd have been will
ing to pull out of this case and
leave it unsolved forever"
Old Man Coffee drew half doz-
en- slow puffs on his pipe before he
answered. The first murder case
l worked on" he said at last, "was
a long time ago. Sometimes I think
that one first case was the misfor-
tune of my life. Because it gave
me a kind of reputation in small
way, so that ever since then I've
been called in on such, from time
to time, over and over again. Man
hunting isn't a pretty job, Billy,
nor anything a man would care to
turn his hand to more than one,
if he could get out of it. But I've
always worked hard and honestly
on my case where once set my
hand. And now that I'm old I fig
ure to keep one right to mys If
the right to keep mouth shut if /
can't see where clearing up mys-
terry will serve no proper end.