The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-10-06


II reckon I lost my temper" he
said.
Plumb" Rosy said briefly. 81
f1ggered you'd be sorry if you done
anything to the old man. After all,
we didn't have no proof"
''It took me long time to see
that" Dave said slowly. 1--WE haven't
proof that he paid the man. All we
can do is guess. He didn't take to
the idea much, did he?"
'He took to it so DANCED little that
I'm wonderin' if we amt shoutin'
down the wrong barrel"
What. beats me, Rosy, is how
Hammond knew I was comm home.
How'd he know I'd get off the train
at soledad instead of at Single
Shot?"
II been wonderin' when you'd
think of that" Rosy said slowly.
''How would Hammond know you'd
be passin' there in that draw at that
time of night? How'd he know
about it?" He crooked leg over
the saddle-horn and looked at Dave.
well, Harmon or Finnegan could
have picked it up around Ted or
Mary and then went to town and
got couple of drinks under their
belts and spilled it."
"They could" Rosy admitted. $50
maybe it wasn't Hammond at all.
Maybe it was some one that want
ed it to look like Hammond done it.
Say, them nesters."
I'm hopin' those nesters are rea-
sonable people.
Here's the scheme. I thought of
it last night, but didn't say anything
until I'd seen Pearson. He gave me
a ninety-day extension on the paper
he's holding against the spread"
"Well?"
"Those nesters are in good black
land" Dave continued. They're
probably pretty good farmers. can
get crew of Mex's to ditch water
down to them from the creek. It
runs about mile from that bottom
land, but it's shut off by low hill"
He looked at Rosy. 'Let those nest
ers raise alfalfa on shares with
penty of water"
"You turnin' farmers?"
mo. But look. There's bunch
of mines around here, besides these
two towns. With water we could
get three crops of alfalfa in the sum-
mer. Contract some of it, hold the
rest and get skyhigh prices for it lat
er. I'm ninety days, I'll have enough
from that to clean off the paper and
start in stockin' the place."
A two hours ride brought them
to the lip of a grassy hill and they
refined up. At the bottom of the
basin lay orderly checkerboards of
fields, now fallow, waiting for the
spring blowing.
Small in the distance, at the base
Of the cliff, lay cluster of build
ings.
They rode point to the cabins,
skirting the fields a little. There
six houses that Dave could see, log
shacks. AS they approached the first
shack, Dave saw a man step out the
door. He noted passively that the
man was so tall he had to stoop to
get through the door. He was I'M
shaver, hatless, wearing dirty bib
overalls and a flannel shirt.
They reigned up before him and
Dave let his eyes wander casually
around the place before he brought
them to bear on the hester.
"Howdy," he said amiably.
The hester spat noisily.
'Lookin' for some one?" he
growled.
''Six of you," Dave said laconic-
ally
'Tll do" the hester retorted.
He was staring into the barrel of
Colt in Dawes hand.
"C1ose that door," Dave said soft
ly. "You got gun there just in
side the door, so move Slow"
The hester continued to stare in
solently at him, his hands in his hip
pockets.
Dawes gun exploded and a chip
of wood behind the nester's. head
splintered off.
Dave saw the nester's face set
little as he leaped away from the
door. He reached in and got the
! rawhide latchstring and swung the
door shut.
''Now step out here" Dave said.
He leathered his gun and the hester
stepped close to his horse.
Dave folded his arms.
''I'm Dave Turner" he announced.
'How would you like to clear off
my land?" he asked softly.
/ With the quickness of a cat, the
hester drove his fist into the nose