The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-09-09

maybe II she'd seen it all Sne
know what we're up against. So ]
went out there and said, Marian
That was all said. She never even
looked at me. And pretty soon she
says-"You're making this country
sun red"
Suddenly Billy Wheeler felt de-
tached pity for this old man and
this girl. He was able to see what
Horse Dunn could not: that the girl
was curiously dependent upon this
old man, who looked like her fat
her; was dependent upon him in
more ways that she was aware. And
both were deeply hurt, at a loss,
because they could not understand
each other.
He could not see much chance
that the girl would learn to under
stand either Horse Dunn or the dry
country men whom he faced. Horse
Dunn was what the dry country had
made him; and there was no long
er anything in the old mans life ex-
cept the cow kingdom he had
dreamed, and tried to build, for her.
A slight noise was heard and Old
Man Coffee came in gloomily and
threw his coiled dog whip on the
floor.
81 haven't actually hit a dog with
that thing for over nine days." he
offered. 'But I swear I come close
to hitting one tonight. That old fool
makes me so cussed-"
Coffee" Dunn interrupted, "you
haven't been here long; but you've
trailed and back-trailed and pro-
NOTED all over this place with those
long-eared hounds. Now tell me"one
thing: do you see any show of find
ing out who killed Lon Magoon?"
Old Man Coffee dropped into a
chair and considered for several
long moments. "No," he said at
last.
"Why?" Dunn demanded.
somebody, some place, may
have killed Lon Magoon, for all
know. But he sure wasn't killed at
Short Crick."
For once in his life old Horse
Dunn's jaw dropped 'Look here!
You wouldn't go to fooling with
me?"
Il don't always know what I'm
talking about. This time I know"
''But the saddle"
81 don't question it was Magoon's
saddle; only say it was a different
man was killed in it."
Again Horse stared at Coffee;
then he relaxed a little, and sat
down on the bunk. Coffee" he
said, IF you're so dead sure, in
Gods name tell us what you
know"
Coffee squinted his deep-set eyes
at Dunn. 81 sore-footed a good dog,
and like to killed a mule, getting
over here to help you with this case.
I don't ask for that to be appreci-
ated. But I'm getting a little tired
of answering all the questions
around here!"
Horse-looked baffled. whats the
matter with your"
I'm tired of being lied to, for
one thing"
"Who's lied to your"
"More than one, right here on this
place. Dunn, there's too many
things not open to the eye around
here to suit me!'
"Coffee," said Horse Dunn with
out belligerence, what in the hell
do you mean by that?"
"I'll just give you one sample"
Old Man Coffee picked up his dog
whip from the floor and sorted out
it's coils with bony old fingers.
There's been a horse in this case
that's been known as the killers
horse, because he left his trail at
Short Crick, mixed up in the sign
of the killing. You know took old
Rock and we trailed that horse;
though it come to nothing, then.
Now, since we've been back here
this afternoon, I've seen a funny
thing. Rocks been working around
the horse corrals, by himself; try
ing to work out a trail. Dog voices
in peculiar-they different trails
in different ways. And as soon as
I heard Rocks voice, 1 knew he was
crying the trail of the killer horse"
They stared at him in silence
Then Horse Dunn said, "You're tell
ing me that the killers horse has
been here in this layout-right here
within the past few days?"
within the past "a hours" Coffee
said.
Horse Dun made a gesture of
impotence, almost of disgust. II
swear I never heard the beat" he
said. "You set out to give me a
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