The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-12-22
~ The FEUD al =
> SINGLE SHOT :
kMaT .u,.s.- By Luke Short z
ByLuke Short

ed down at the two men. Lev
was dead, drilled through thu
head. Reilly was dying, if no
dead. He stared at the men duly
sunk in a stupor of pain and ia
tigue and thirst.
!, He shook himself. The knot!
to the ropes were under thu
horses belly where he could mo-
reach them; SO, loading his CUR
again, he showed the muzzle o.
his Colt against the rope beside
his foot and cut it with a shot.
Dismounted, he was so weak
his legs gave way under him.
''I've got to drink" he thought
dazedly, sitting on the ground
Crawling over to Lewis horse
he pulled the canteen from tt
saddle horn. After the first slow
drink he paused, then took deer
draught, which strengthened him
Then he lay down in the shade
of the rock, tore the slicker into
strips and, after washing his
wounds, bound them.
He considered the two deao
men. He pulled them over to the
opposite side of the canyon. Lay.
ing them side by side, he pilec
a cairn of stones over them.
Then he turned to the horses
standing in the sun. Dave mount
ed Lewis pinto and cut Reilly's
horse across the rump with his
rope. Dave had no idea where
the cabin lay, but he knew il
given their heads the horses
would make for it.
Then he settled down, keeping
his eyes and ears alert, riding
close to Reilly's horse. His own
mount followed YEARLY behind
AS the time went on, he be-
came more warmly and moved
closer to the lead horse, watch
ing it. When he heard it whin-
ny and saw it increase its pace
he spurred his horse and headed
it off.
Dismounting, he battered the
horses to the ground, laying
heavy rocks on their reins. He
locked around. Ahead of him.
the land rose, broken and rocky
to the lip of ridge.
Directly below Dave lay the
barn nestled snugly against the
rock out of the wind. In the cor
raj adjoining it, he counted six
horses, but Mary's was not among
them.
Watching the house and seeing
no signs of life, he decided that
no one was likely to come out
and surprise him.
He looped the lariat around
point of rock, tested it, then let
Himself down hand over hand
to the barn roof. clipping the
rope loose, he let himself down
to the ground behind the barn.
His eyes roved the barn, set
ting on bearskin lyin in far
corner. A plan formed slowly in
his mind
Going out into the corral again,
he moved toward the gate, which
consisted of loose poles. The
horses watched him.
In the barn again, Dave picked
up the bearskin and went to the
stable door.
He sailed the bearskin out in
to the middle of the corral, then
lodged back quietly for the back
of the addition.
The horses, smelling the bear
skin, milled wildly out the gate
in a stampede.
They fed past the south end
of the house, heading down a
narrow canyon to the east. Dave
crawled softly around the north
end of the shack. At the corner
he stopped, listened.
"Goddlemighty, it's them hors-
es scatterin'. Who left that corral
gate DOWN."
Dave did not recognize this
voice, but he did the voice that
answered. It was Sayres.
"You did, Ed, damn you!"
"But I never" Ed protested.
Shut up and round 'em up
Sayres ordered. "You help him
too, LATE"
Dave edged his head around the
corner of the house in time tt
see two men file out and heae
down the canyon afoot.
| He gave them time to get ou
of sight, then he edged around
the front door on his hands ant
knees. He heard two men, ont
of the Sayres.
"Faf'll send word where tn,
posses headin' for. He'll hav,
some one in the posse, don't 20,
worry. If they crowd US. we bet
ter take the gal back to the lin
camp in the timber, north.