The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-10-05
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Open up, Longo!"

AAAAu tIlell, WQGn ne was almost
at the door himself, he heard a
roar of rage-that was Ken
MARGINS laundering voice for
none to mistake!- and after that
lnarticulste roar there came the
crash of pistol shots.
Barry hit the ground running
and burst into the room, gun in
hand. He saw in that one photo
graphic instant a place of feeble
light festooned in powder smoke,
with Ken March against one wall,
firing as fas as he could pull the
trigger with two men he recog-
nlzed from yesterday on the trail,
Longo and Pennel no doubt,
against another wall, pumping
hot lead at March-with Sarboe
on a bunk, dropped up, blazing
away at March-with Lucy
crouching in corner.
I'm with you Ken!' roared
Barry, and cut down on both
Pennel and Longo.
With five men fighting in a
room not above fifteen feet
square, the thing was of necessi-
ty over almost as soon as it start
ed. Barry was the slightest woun-
ded, taking a bullet grazingly
along his outer thigh while a Sec
ond carried his hat off his head.
Lucy, shaking pitifully and as
white as death, her eyes enor-
nous with horror, stood staring
up and swayed a little and at first
could not speak. Then she cried
chokingly, 'Barry!" And then she
ran and went down on her knees
over Ken March, and put her
arms about him, calling des-
perately, ooh, Ken! Dear, dear
Ken! Look at me, Ken!''
Ken's going to be all right,
Lucy" he said. Hes too good a
man for these polecats to kill"
They were still trying to find
all Ken March's wounds, to see
which were the worst, when
again a rattle of hoof beats rang
out.
They were Red Rock men who
had followed Ken March when
with sudden inspiration he had
stormed out of the saloon, call
ing back to them where he was
going. At their fore rode Judge
Blue and Tom Haveril.
whats going on here?" de-
manded the Judge, peering at
Barry through the dark. "What's
happened?"
"a good deal has happened.
We've got Lucy back, but I'm
afraid Ken is pretty bad hurt"
By this time Ken March was
propped up against the wall, and
Lucy's young arms were support
ing him. He tried to tell what
had happened; Lucy finished the
tale for him. She said Pennel and
Longo, had tricked her out of
town, making her think that Ken
March had been shot.
Men looked at one another,
then at the three who had fought
it out with Barry and Ken March.
Someone called from just out
SIDE, near the corner of the ca
bin: Heres good tree. We want
another rope"
Longo was dead, yet they
hanged him up by the neck just
the same. Pennel was dying, fast,
too, yet he wicked his life out
alongside Dick Longo's limp,
gently swaying body. AS for Sar-
Doe as they dragged him, he fell
to screaming with terror, begging
for his life.
Barry watched Sarboe's face,
hung on his words as men
dragged him out to the tree.
Sarboe screamed: "Save me!
You save me, Toni"
Tom Haveril struck him in the
face. But Sarboe screamed the
louder and a new note got into
his voice, like the snarl of coy
ote, and Barry heard his words
bubbling out:
CPL talk! I'll tell"
Barry leaped forward, shout
ing: LET Sarboe talk! Give him
show to tell what he knows
There's somebody else in this"
A man dropped moose over
Sarboe's head; it was Tom Have
ribs hand that jerked it tight,
stopping short Sarboe's words
and his breath along with them.
''Looks to me like you were in
an almighty hurry to shut Sar-
boe's mouth" said Barry holly.
Men took their departures. Last
to 60 was Barry Haveril.
The cabin was dark; someone
had taken the trouble to blow out