The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-08-19


presidency in the colleges history.
roundup times I've seen better than
SO riders follow the "a wagons. But
I guess those days are gone"
Coffee suggested that Horse Dunn
was getting old. cts hard for us old
fellows to bend to new ways of
handling cows-or men. But Horse
Dunn might just as well get ready
to realize he has to. He's forced his
way for long time; but comes a
time when he can't force it no
more"
"And that" Wheeler said, is what
we've got to save him from. For God
knows he'll never bow his head! It's
up to you, more'n anybody"
Don't count on me-
That was Old Man Coffee'S atti-
tude. Because of his uncommon
sixth sense in handling a trail and
because of his widely heard-of luck
in making shrewd deductions, Old
Man Coffee had been called in on
many a mystery killing in the inter-
mountain country. But though he
worked hard without cost to any
one, he stubbornly avoided an Off
cial responsibility. II got nothing to
do with it." That was the Coffee
theme song on murder case.
But now he added, "Something's
wrong. When I first looked at this
case thought it was open and shut.
But something's the matter with
this case. Somebody knows some
thing they're not telling me-"
Billy Wheeler waited, but the in
foration which silence would have
brought from most men was long in
coming.
people in this country is going
to the dogs" Coffee complained.
"Take you. Your old father had a
pair of eyes that could find out. the
devil through the smoke of hell. But
you-you ant got any eyes. I not
only got to do your thinking for
you. l also got to see for you and
hear for you and ride for you. I'll
give you just sample"
An ironic amusement family al
tered Old Man Coffee's gaunt face.
ANSWER me one question:" he
said now. what weapon killed Lon
Magoon?"
Bill Wheeler looked at Coffee
sidelong, and for a moment he hesi-
tated. Lion Magoon," he said, "was
killed by a shotgun. Is that what
you wanted to know"
Part. What else?"
1T was fired from in front of him
little to his right-hand side, by a
man on horse"
"What else?"
"The shell was home-loaded. And
that's all I know, yet"
Old Man Coffee was regarding
Wheeler with a peculiar fixed ex-
preston. son." he said at last, II
back down; I'm free to admit I had
you wrong. You're further along the
trail than most of 'em. You got the
shotgun right, at least. I suppose
you seen that one shot pellet bog
ged into the seam of the leather on
Lon Magoon's saddle horn?"
eyes; saw it."
'That little pellet is pretty well
hid. I guess nobody saw it but you
and me. But the rest of your dope's
wrong. For one thing-Magoon
wasn't killed by no man on a
horse!"
'How do you know that?"
"How did you know the shell was
home-loaded?"
Because the charge was weak.
The sign showed the horses was
close together when the shot was
fired. If the charge hadn't been
weak that pellet of lead would have
plowed whole lot deeper than it
did"
Old Man Coffe nodded approval.
"a good CATCH" he said. "But 81
think you got it wrong. If the
charge had been fired from close
like you say, the killer could have
rammed the long shotgun barrel
plumb against Magoon - there
wouldn't have been no shot in the
saddle horn. It was distance slowed
that pellet. Lon Magoon was shot
by third man, from up on the flat
ground above the cut!"
Seems like" Wheeler objected,
''the trail of the third man should
have showed up, somewhere about"
! maybe; if it had been read prop
er before the cattle paved out the