The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-08-12
Cccyny6t 6s Alan IL >EX4 y


Wheeler without admiration. "Now
you've done it," he said; 'oh, you've
done it now, all right"
Il won't ask you what you'd have
done in my place." Wheeler said,
because don't give a boot. But I'll
say this-if you had done much diff
ferently it would be because you're
a worse fool than 1 thought"
It was many hours now since Bill
1y Wheeler had upset Kid Bender's
horse, pinning that newly-made
deputy sheriff under the saddle; the
long peculiarly lucid twilight of the
Red Hills country now lay cool and
lingering upon the range But report
Of the clash with Kid Bender had
been delayed by Horse Dunn's alb
sence.
Horse Dunn and his wagon boss
had now heard the story of the or
der Kid Bender had given Wheeler,
and Wheeler's refusal; and of how
the Kids horse, for at first Kid
into glancing away while he drew.
There had been a bad moment for
Wheeler after he had overthrown
the Kidn's horse, for at first Kir
Bender had looked as if he might
be dead, saddle-crushed by his fall
len mount.
Kid Bender, though, had come to
with only broken leg and a dirty
crack on the head to show. And
Pinto Halliday, shifty-eyed, lanky,
had appeared from the Short Creek
cuts to take Kid Bender off of
Wheeler's embarrassed hands, Halli-
day, it appeared, was another new
ly-made deputy Evidently he had
been the other half of the Short
Creek patrol.
mo show-off play like that ever
does any good" Douglas said. "It
only stacks trouble onto plenty we
already got"
At the window Horse Dunn stir
red impatiently. Understand this,
VAL" he said. BILLY done just what
I would have done in like case.
I'll back Billy's play to the limit,
and that goes for any other play he
wants to make!"
Sure" said Douglas. what else
can we do?"
Wheeler sat up, angering again.
''Now just a minute!"
Horse Dun whirled. "Cut it out"
he snapped. oval, that was Old Man
Coffee just come in; go take care of
his horse, and see that there's grub
laid out at the cook shack"
When Val Douglas had gone out
Billy Wheeler's anger left him. Hes
mostly right, Horse he said.
Horse Dunn bristled and his voice
rose to it's familiar roar. Cali I'm
sorry for is you didn't kill the little
sneak! If had couple more riders
with enough CUTS in their bellies
to" His thunder subsidized; Wheeler
notice how all the hard fire went
out of this old man in the presence
of his niece Marian Dunn sat re-
Taxed at the other window, her eyes
in the far hills, and her profile was
as motionless as if she were carved
of cream-colored marble Billy
Wheeler had that day seen horror
and antipathy in her eyes after he
had downed Kid Bender; and he no
longer wondered why Horse Dunn
lost spirit sometimes when she was
there.
Horse Dunn mumbled in obscure
apology, We're right sorry. Things
sometimes 60 like this. But some
times we can't help it if they do. If
only Bog Flagg would get here"
Marian Dunn gave no sign of hav-
ing heard, and there was an awk-
ward silence. Then Old Man Coffee
came stalking across from the cor
rails, dropped saddle from his hip
to the gallery floor, and let himself
in.
''Val Douglas says that Billy
Wheeler, here, stirred up little ex-
ira hell today" he said without pre-
liminaries.
Horse Dunn grunted, and Wheeler
briefly explained to the old lion
hunter what had happened.
''Well," Old Man Coffee said, II
reckon Marian can testify she seen
him 60 for his gum"
Marian did not verify this. After
a moment Horse Dunn said, II sup
pose you didn't find anything, or
you'd be saying So"
'Td sure like to catch up with
that Cayuse Cayetano," Coffee said
"To day I seen him riding horse
to death, some northward, toward
the Red Sleep. I'd sure like to know
what he was at"
.You worry plenty about that In
dian, don't you? If"
"He knows too much, too soon,
Coffee complained. ''Why wasn't he
promoting the Short Crick trails