The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-03-14

it back and tells Bradish that
Matt Blair gave him a half in
terest i'm it, making Virginia's sale
illegal. Lee disappears and a
search is begun for him.
By the time she had reached a
side door and flung it open the
sounds of activity were already
coming from the bunk house.
There was a man there on a
horse-it looked like Birthstone
and other men were tumbling out
of the door half dressed and
gathering around him. She her
self running now with leaden
weights dragging at her feet.
It was Birthstone, g1istening
with the sweat of hard riding,
but the man, just dismounting
from him was Francisco Ramirez.
Curly came running. He talked
rapidly, giving her the blunt
truth. cts Lee. Francisco was
going home late and he saw
Birthstone in front of the cabin
all saddled, but no sign of Lee.
Francisco went up and found the
cabin empty and blood on the
saddle"
"Do you suspect anyone, Cur
ly?"
"We're looking first for Lawler
and Slanty Gano. They both held
grudges against Lee, and they'd
better hunt up their alibis right
now"
Bradish and Stanley had hur-
ried out and we're at her elbow.
Stanley had sickly look in the
paling moonlight. The riding men
streamed down the valley. Vir-
ginia turned to Stanley.
"The ranch car is in the repair
shop. Well have to take yours.
I'm going to drive it myself.
In a few moments Virginia had
the grey car out and was slipping
into the drivers seat. Curly
started to protest against her 60
ing, but stopped as he looked in
to a stony little face. He took
the seat beside her. Bradish, on
a restless impulse, got in also,
followed by Stanley.
From far away Slany Gano saw
the rolling crowd of dust speed
ing out from the Valley of the
Sun and resolving itself into a
racing car.
Slanty had the eyes of a hawk.
He saw that it was young Bra
dish's car, but what was it doing
there at this hour, and going at
that rate of speed? And it was
full. He turned back to deeper
shelter, caught a sound and stiff
fened.
Horses! He being dismounted,
wormed his way to a point of
vantage and peered.
Coming out of the mouth of
Turkey Gulch were men. They
were men. They were Circle V
men and rode with a purpose,
scanning trail and hillside.
Crouched low in his covert be-
tween the rolling dust cloud and
the riding men, with a deed in
his pocket bearing the smeared
imprint of a bloody thumb, Sian
ty knew that he was a fugitive.
At the ranch house relations
between the inmates were notice
ably strained, but Virginia saw
little of the others. They would
all have departed gladly, but to
leave just now might create an
unpleasant impression or even
definitely arouse suspicion in this
place where feeling was running
so high. The Archers fused
around anxiously, Bradish was
bluntly rude to his now useless
agent, and Stanley was nervous
ly on edge. There were several
matters that were worrying him
badly, and one of them was a
thousand dollar bill. If they
should catch Gano and find that
bill on him, Stanley Bradish was
going to have a bad time trying
to explain it.
: The second day dragged out to
CHASTITY length, but there was no
trace of Lee, and no sign of Sian
ty Gano or Lawler. Men began to
shake their heads. There were
plenty of places around here
where a mans body might lie
hidden for a score of years.
Only Virginia and one other re-
fused to believed that Lee was