The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-07-22

work OF 10 years drops from unoer
like shot pony!"
Wheelec frowned. There used to
be a pretty square bunch running
the county offices at Inspiration"
he said.
'There was while Tom Amos was
alive. He'sdead; his boy is sheriff
and he isn't man enough for it.
Link Bender's ring run the whole
show. They're fixed to make case
stick, all right-for a little while
even if it's a poor one. It's going to
be almighty necessary that we know
more about this than the other
fellers, Billy. l sent for a good
man to help us with that end of
it. I sent for Old Man Coffee of Nc
Tarnahan."
'T've heard of him. I guess he's
pretty good on a trail. But still I
don't see where I fit, Horse"
Suppose Link Bender's crowd
can work it out to hold me on some
trumped-up charge-6O, 80 days.
Long enough for the "a to 60 to
pieces in the faces of it's called
loans? There's going to be more to
pulling the "a through the landslide
than a wagon boss like Val Douglas
can handle. There's got to be diff
ferent man on the ground-and that
man is YOU"
For a moment Wheeler was
deeply troubled. If, by any chance,
Horse Dunn's prophesis should
prove correct, Wheeler did not see
how he could refuse the old man
the assistance he asked. But evil
IDENTIFY this would mean tn t
Wheeler would have to sign on to
help with the management of the "a.
Thinking of this awkward posi-
bility, he thought again of the blue
eyes of Marian Dunn, of the
strangely lovely glow of her face in
the reflected light of the red-gold
hills. For him there was magic
in that girl. 1t was a magic which
could humble a man, and break
him, heart and soul; taking the light
out of every victory he might win,
when only she turned away her
face. And he heard her voice, full
of that same magic still; I'm sor-
ry-truly sorry :"
Far ahead dark specks of horse
men showed, emerging from Chuck
Box Wash as if from the surface of
the plain. Dunn booted his pony
into lope.
Walt Amos, sheriff of the Red
Hills country, was youngish man,
with a direct but mild gray-green
eye. He had a low-headed pony by
a rope to his saddle horn.
I'm right glad you rode over,
Horse" he said when the "a men
had drawn up. you'll be able to
help Link, here, recall how the sign
looked when you first seen it."
Behind him, lounging in their sad
dies, sat three others. These, Wheel
er knew, were Link Bender, tall,
hawk-faced, closed, close-lipped;
Links son, lanky, weasel-faced
youth whom Wheeler knew only as
''the Kid; and Cayuse Cayetano, a
saffron-faced Indian breed who wore
a circular shield marked Indian
Police" upon a green and black
checked shirt.
These three had nodded in greet
ing, but said nothing; and now there
was a moments awkward pause. In
, the silence could be heard an irregu-
lar moaning sound somewhere far
to the north-the believing of cattle
working themselves into state of
mind over some unknown thing.
81 was figuring to ride over to
| your place later, anyway, Dunn,
the sheriff said. II was especially
kind of hoping you'd recognize this
horse"
Link Bender" Dunn said slow
ly-''he found him, did he?"
"He found the horse-this horse;
not the man."
Dunn studied the led horse at the
sheriff's flank. $50 this" Dunn said,
''is the horse a teller got killed on. y
The horse the sheriff led was a
runty bay of the wild pony type
which infests the intermountain
ranges from border to border. II
bore no brand; but broad on the
withers and extending downward
on the off side almost to the knee
were the dust-crusted stains OF yes
terday's blood.
Dunn leaned low to study the feet
of the led horse. cts the horse
from Short Crick, all right" he said
at last. "No, I never seen him be-
FORE"
The sheriff looked hopefully al
Wheeler, but Billy Wheeler shook
his head.
Nobody knows the damn ami
mali" the sheriff burst out fretfully
srd have thought you fellers would