The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-12-09

thinking Of things deep in the past.
Presently Horse Dunn grinned to
himself and stood up; and one by
one he tossed the shells through
the iron bars into the dark. He
heard them fall and lose them
selves in the black alley around his
barred cell. After all, he had ex
pected to see the Argentine.
The fourth shell he held mo-
ment or two, wondering if it ought
not to be-his own. If man came
to the last pinch, and saw for GER
tain what was ahead, it was a pity
to leave it to the coyote to finish
him up. But in the end he laughed,
easy and in different, and tossed
the fourth shell after the others in
to the dark.
The one remaining shell was in
the gun. He stretched lazily,
yawned deeply to the bottom Of his
great lungs; and fired his last shell
against the iron door.
Up the hill from the Sheriff S
house came the sound of running
feet; the sound stopped outside,
and the big keys to the steel door
clattered at their locks. This was
followed by a brief pause and a
low-voiced conference; Dunn rec
ognized Link Bender's voice and a
Spasm of regret shook him for the
lost shells.
Horse Dunn stood up, thrusting
the hand which held the derringer
into the front of his short. With
his free hand he gripped a bar of
his cell high up, and let his knees
sag down and his had fall on his
chest as the door swung wide.
Walt Amos came into the open
door, gun in one hand, lantern in
the other. Dunn made his voice
strangle in his throat as he gasped
-"Amos- Gods name -"
The young sheriff sprang for
ward, holstering his weapon. "How
in all hell" He fumbled for a key
from his belt, chartered it at the
door of the inner cell. "Who got
you? Man, can you speak?" Amos
set the lantern down, swung the in
ner door; and the snub-nosed der
ringer that could cut men in two
was in his stomach, and Dunn's
great fist was clamped on the gun
butt for which Amos snatched.
Reach" Dunn said; and the
sheriff's hands went up. Horse
jerked the sheriff's gun, and tossed
it gathering into the shadows. He
turned the sheriff gripped him by
the back of the belt, and noSed the
empty derringer into his back.
He kicked the lantern light into
a black shatter, and his voice
turned savage as he showed the
sheriff ahead of him into the door
opening. 'Now, you out there
how about letting drive at this
door? Before wake you up with
a shot or two under his arm!"
Walt Amos sung out in a CHASTITY
voice, "For Gods sake take care
yourselves! He's got me cold!"
Outside, three figures moved
abruptly in the clear light of the
risen moon; Dunn saw and knew
Halliday and Caldwell, but had not
time to recognize the third, who
raced to take cover around the cor
ner of the Jail. He supposed this
was Link Bender. He heard Halli-
day swear, and Sam Caldwell
called out sharp order to the
third man. Halliday shouted, "Wa1t
grapple him!" And Caldwell's
thick, sardonic voice said from sha-
dows into which he had disap-
peared, "Grapple him yourself, you
fool!"
Horse Dunn sided along the wall
of the Jail, weaving the sheriff's
lurching and stumbling figure be-
tween himself and the general To-
cat iron of Sam Caldwell. Walt
Amos called out, Link, look out!
He's coming round the Jail"
"You got CUTS, kid" Horse Dunn
said. He got around the Jail, backed
over the crest of the hill. We wished
that he knew where Link Bender
had gone. Of them all, Link Bend
er was the fox. Just over the crest
was the long adobe wall of a store
house long since ruined. He got
his back against the remains Of this
wall, and here rested, for he had
been almost carrying the sheriff
with one hand.
For a moment or two then the
night was very still. His eyes were
searching shadows, trying to spot
his enemies. But what came to his
mind then was that the breeze from
the desert was fresh and sweet.
and very precious in his lungs; and
the moonlight that betrayed him
was very lovely. And he saw again