The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-08-05

ne WOULD nave liked TO near the lat
est word from the camp of Horse
Dunn's enemies. Marian Dunn, how
ever, was Looping eastward along an
old trail not far off the Inspiration
road. Steve Hurley would be able
to signal to him from road to trail
if any new word concerned him. He
let his pony lope out and caught up
with Marian within the mile.
do you min d if I ride your
way?"
Maybe" Marian said, you'll
show me where Short Creek is"
Wheeler was startled. "Short
Creek?"
Sometimes" the girl said, cts
easier to look at thing than to
imagine it."
Il was thinking some of riding
over that way" he conceded. "Only
-Iwish you'd let somebody know
when you set off to ride distance
like that, so somebody could go
with you"
She looked at him sidelong for a
minute. sometimes it Sc EN- S to
me you people do everything you
can to make this into an unfriendly
country"
Il don't know what you mean"
''These Red Hills, with the sun
on them, are the background of the
very earliest memories I have.
When I came here again it was as
if l were coming home. I felt free
and natural, here-at first. And
Horse Dunn is almost exactly like
my father, what little I can remem-
Der of him-so nearly like my ia
Their that 1 can't remember my ia
theirs face any more; because my
uncle's face comes in between
''He worships the ground you
walk on" Wheeler said.
Il know" A little SILVER ran
across her shoulders, anomalous in
the blaze Of the sun. Then he turns
and does some wild, awful thing
like yesterday; and it gives me the
strangest feeling of being complete
ly lost in a country 1 don't under
stand"
yesterday? What awful thing?"
'He-he shot Link Bender"
'It was kind of unfortunate, sure.
But l don't know what else he could
do. Link drew on him. And all
your uncle did was to nick him in
the arm, so that he dropped the
gum"
Marian's tone was curiously de-
tached, unforgiving. "He admitted
he set out to goad Link Bender into
fighting"
That was not exactly what Horse
Dunn had said, but essentially the
girl was right. 1t was like Horse
Dunn too that he could in no part
lie to this girl, but would put him
self conscientiously into the worst
possible light.
'sHe said more" Marian added.
''He said that if it hadn't been for
me he would have killed Link Ben
der there at Church Box Wash"
Billy Wheeler started to say, "Oh,
I don't think" 1t was no use. 1t
was futile to try to hide from this
girl certain things which she was in
no way equipped to understand, yet
was sure to see clearly. "This is a
different country than you're used
to, Marian. Dry country men learn
ed long ago to depend on them
selves; they've lived that way for
long time"
The car that had been an ap-
preaching funnel of dust upon the
Inspiration road now came careen-
ing around a rutty bend 200 yards
below them. Steve Hurley leaned
from behind his dusty windshield to
wave at them, then brought his car
to a long-rolling stop. He slgnaled
Wheeler to ride to him.
"Wait here" Wheeler said to the
girl. He wheeled his horse, then
hesitated to say over his shoulder
''Don't worry; we'll work every
thing out all right"
He put his horse down to the
road, jumping IL through tne leu
rocks. From behind the wheel Steve
Hurley thrust big square hand al
him, and Steve's big b ely face
flashed a quick grin. "Glad to see
you, Billy; the Old Man S aid he
figured you'd sit in. AS soon as
see who it was, I pulled up"
Wheeler glanced at the boiling
radiator. "What's broke in Inspira'
ton, Steve?"
sThe Old Man may be wanting tt
call his riders in. Thought I'd stor
and tell you what it was, SOS you
could signal in any of the boys yor
might see while you're out"
"Tm listening"