The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-12-29
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you u De O0dQ.
II near am" Rosy muttered.
How'd you know it was me?"
Dave asked.
when you lowered you head,
1 hit that place where the BUSH
'Whacker slammed you, but you
was hanging on to me like burr
I aimed to play dead SOS you'd
take your hand off my throat"
did the guard see your"
Il don't think So"
"And he's on this rock?"
Rosy said he was. They sat a
moment listening to see if they
had alarmed the guard, but the
night was soundless.
Dorsey Hammond's here, "
Dave said tonelessly. "They kid
mapped her"
Dorsey Hammond" R y
asked incredulously. 'Why-I
never heard about it. Are you
sure? he checked himself. Lets
get on. We got some work ahead
Of us. Near as I can make out,
this here rock he's on is cup
shaped, and a little higher than
the rest of the hill"
They decided that Dave was to
so down the slope, circle around,
hide himself and open fire. Rosy
was to approach the rampant
from the ridge.
Then let's co." Rosy said.
Dave disappeared down the
side of the scarp and Rosy con-
tinued ahead. Worming his way
forward for nearly twenty min
utes, pausing to listen occasional
ly he finally achieved a round
knob of rock which he had noted
from below as being close to the
rampant.
He could smell cigarette smoke,
hear the slight movement of the
man en- top in the cup. A veer-
ing of the wind carried the smell
of cedar smoke to him and he
guessed the man had build a
small fire.
He smiled. Fool" he thought.
IF he looks out into the night
from that fire he couldn't see a
calvary troop"
A shot from below electrified
him and he knew Dave was each
ed costly behind a rock, shooting
at random. Rosy heard the loud
hiss of water on Goals as the
guard extinguished his fire. The
answering shot was loud and
close.
Rosy hoisted himself up. With
a stifled curse he heard his gun
butt scrape loudly on the rock.
The guard whipped around,
raised his rifle and a lance of
orange licked out. Rosy famed
the gun desperately, waiting for
a bullet to pick him off and send
him careening down among the
rocks. He saw the limp body of
the guard inch down the wall un-
til it rested in the smoking fire.
Rosy pulled himself over the
rim and hullooled loudly. Dave
answered him dimly from below.
Then he turned the body over,
struck a match and saw the man
was dead, three bullets in his
chest.
He loaded his Colt thought
fully, shrugged and let himself
down the slope.
Dave was waiting with Dorsey
at the pass when he reached it.
1t took Laredo three minutes
to get a saddled horse from the
livery stable after he had left
the sheriff's office.
He rode slowly north up the
valley leading the horse. When
he was out of sight of the town,
he left the road and started up
the mountains to the east. Where
the mountins broke for the rail-
road tracks in a deep pass he par
alleled the tracks for three miles
or so.
When he heard the freight train
coming slogging up the grade he
it quietly. AS the last
three cars disappeared, Laredo saw
a man swing off the caboose.
Then the man turned and sur
Weyed the county around him.
Laredo stood up and waved an I
arm and the man walked over
to him. The newcomer was dress
ed in laced boots, clean but fad