The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-07-29

| and, so far as Wheeler knew, Mar
ian Dunn had since visited the "a
but once in her life-two years ago,
when she was eighteen.
'Why, she can't hardly even be-
lieve that this country is here"
Dunn continued They've taught her
that the country is all settled up
and they're right. Only, they don't
understand this dry country, where
a steer walks rod for a blade of
grass, and a hundred square miles
supports one outfit. When they think
of the West they think of some place
like Montana, where you can fence
a whole herd on five sections of
grass and watch 'em thrive She
can't see her "a as part and parcel of
half million miles of range"
"Her94?" Wheeler questioned.
Horse Dunn did not hear him.
1--WE fought this country since time
out of mind. When you got enemies
in this country you've got to rough
'em and force 'em. If man tries to
smash you, you got to smash him
first. She tells me we got law here
to take care of that, nowadays. tell
you the law we got hasn't the teeth
in it that it had in the old days,
event.
Wheeler was silent. He could not
altogether agree with Horse Dunn.
He had seen range quarrels settled
by gunfire-but never to the advan-
/ tage of either winner or loser. How
ever, he wasn't going to argue with
Old Man.
"What if she ties my hands?"
Dunn demanded. ''I've got to fight
this thing my own way. For myself
I wouldn't so much mind. But amt
the outfit hers, to begin WITH"
"Hers?" Wheeler repeated.
"Sure, it's hers. Didn't you know
| that?"
Wheeler had not known it. ''But
look here! You've run this brand
ever since can remember. You
must at least have some part in
terest here"
mot penny or head of stock"
Dunn told him.
'But 1 happen to know" Wheeler
declared, that you've always had
an outfit, another outfit. down in
Arizona. Yet your Arizona outfit
hasn't seen you four times in a
dozen years."
I've had my hands full here"
Dunn said.
"You mean," Billy Wheeler said,
! you spent the last twelve-thirteen
years neglecting your own outfit to
build up a brand that don't belong
to your"
Dunn shrugged. "Somebody had
to take holt. My brother died-sud-
, den. He didn't leave the "a in very
good shape For two years it was
run by different bosses hired. But
this same Link Bender-he had
| big outfit then-he was stealing the
| "a blind. Pretty soon there wouldn't
have been any "a. And it was all
the kid and her mother had"
Billy Wheeler stared at Horse
Dunn. Once he had heard it ru-
mored that Horse Dunn had loved
Marian's mother, long ago.
"Marian's mother always hated
and feared this country. 81 e
brought up Marian to feel some
similar. That's why the kid can't
stand gunsmoke, or anything done
by force. You see-my brother died
with a gun in his hand"
Wheeler, unable to endorse the
Old Mans leaning toward violence,
expressed belief that there ought
to be some way to avoid smoking
up the range. IF we can hold the
"a steady on the finance side," he
said, what can Link Bender's crowd
do?"
God knows I've took all the steps
I know to steady the finance side"
Horse Dunn said. "A minute ago
you spoke of my having an outfit
in Arizona. Well, I had an outfit
in Arizona. Six weeks ago I sent
word to Bob Flagg, my partner
there, to sell her out. She's sold.
For the last ten days I've been look
ing for Bob Flagg. He's supposed
to show here with $4,000, as good
as in cash; another $4,000 in differ
ent obligations and notes. Every
thing I've got to the bracing of the
a."
Horse stared out the open door
way toward the corrals; and now
Billy Wheeler saw Horse Dunn's
rocky face slowly relax, and soften.
Out at the far corral Marian had
caught the quiet old pony that Horse
had given her, and was preparing
to saddle. Horse Dunn watched her,
his eyes gentle. There was always
a shy humility about that strapping
big old man when he looked at this