The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-12-07
FINAL INSTALLMENT

themselves. Someone called out,
You go see, Bendigo; you can
read like a lawyer"
Bendigo read and Barry ex-
planned. Bendigo scratched his
head and said, ct looks like to
me"
Barry called out the full expla-
nation to the men down below.
He ended by saying:
'You fellows that worked for
Tom Haveril, you know I'm tel
ling you the truth. Sarboe has
told us what he knows, and it's
plenty! You're all ripe for hang
ing to the first tree. The Laredo
Kid is still riding free, sticking
close to the Judge because either
one of them can hang the other,
and they're afraid to separate!
Want to stick along with them?
Then fill your hands! Come a.
shooting, or get out of here!"
''That's teachin' 'em their ABC's
I reckon" said Ben Haveril.
Just then two men came roar
ing into camp, headed from
down-canon, lashing their jaded,
sweat-lathered horses. They were
the sheriff, Ed Brawley, his face
sick-white, his shoulder red,
blood dripping from his finger
tips, and the old man, Cliff Ben
digger.
He collapsed and slid to the
ground.
Barry went to where Brawley
lay. The Sheriff muttered weak
ly:
"It was the Kid. I don't know
who he was! The Judge says,
Meet a friend of mine, Jesse Con-
roy, cowboy workin' for me- If
I'd only knowed! He shot fas'
after Timber done his talkin';
shot an rode away on his spurs,
laughin' his head off"
"And Timberline?" asked Bar
ry anxiously.
"Shot him, too," muttered
Brawley.
But why"
Brawley said, still more faint
ly:
Reckon he was sorry he spilled
the beans. You see, he let out
where your women folks was.
And he knowed that them two,
the Kid anyhow, was headed
straight to get his hands on them
females"
Good Cod" gasped Barry.
Then he ran for horse.
It was a acknowledgements
early dusk that Judge Blue and
the Laredo Kid rode into the yard
of the old Ben Haveril home.
Barry's mother and the two
Lucys ran to the door, all eager
ness. Already the Laredo Kid was
standing on the porch, his hard
brown hands on his narrow hips.
The Judge called over the
Kids shoulder with an affection
of heartiness:
Hello Lucy, my darling. How
dy, Mrs. Haveril. Howdy, Miss
Lucy"
AS the three women flinched
back the Laredo Kid laughed.
sMake a move that amt hospi-
table-like," grinned the Kid, "an'
I'll slap yore scared faces off'n
Barry's mother stood in the
doorway; at a commanding glance
from her the two girls retreated
into the house and stood looking
fearfully over her shoulders. She
said in that low, quiet voice OF
hers:
"What do you want here?'
"A-plenty," said the Kid.
I'm gittin' out'n here an I'm
goin' fas', but I amt goin alone, .
he said. His eyes bounced upon
Lucy Hamilton's. "Yuh're comm
with me-"
There was murder in his eyes
then and she saw it, stark and
brutal and merciless; and utter
terror gripped her.
He said again to the terrified
girl. ''Yuh comm with me-"
"No!" she cried. CT"
That quiet little woman, Bar
rvs mother, became like a She
wolf protecting her cubs. 1ncre-
dibly swift, she leaped for the old
rifle standing against the wall,
dead Roberts gun where she had
placed it when thinking that Bar
ry might want it.
The Kids gun came up out OF
its holster in a gesture too quick
for the eye to follow. He touched
the trigger gently, that devils
grin still on his face; there was
the roar of explosion, the flash
of orange fire, and the rifle clat-
tered to the floor.
He had very adroitly shot the