The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-09-24
- 8 Black DAWN
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yells of their pursuers died away
behind them.
On and on through the night,
black as pitch, the great stallion
sped like the wind over the range.
Minutes went by, and Black
Dawn's pace did not slacken. But
suddenly Dave was aware that
Lois was slumping toward him.
He grasped her more firmly.
Leave me-alone!" she mutter-
ed. Something wet was dripping
upon Dawes fingers. He extend
ed them, and found a wet patch
upon the girls overalls, near the
shoulder.
"Lois-you're hit!" he cried.
leave me alone, I tell you. It's
nothing. I'm taking-you-"
But her voice failed her. And
it was with the utmost difficulty
that Dave, seated in front of her,
could contrive to keep his seat
and also hold he ron the back of
the horse, who showed no signs
of slackening his speed. With
out reins, or even a halter, Dave
was powerless to control him,
while to attempt to bandage Lo-
is wound was out of the question.
In, the dim starlight Dave tried
to locate his surroundings. It
seemed to him that the horse was
taking them straight toward
Hooker'S cabin.
It was not until then that he
realized that the severed hang
mans moose was still about his
neck. Dave uncoiled it with one
hand and was about to throw it
away. Then he realized that its
discovery would give the clue
to their flight. He fastened it in
stead, about his saddle-horn,
where his lariat was coiled.
The horse was straining up
ward toward the higher mesas.
The scrub brushed his flanks,
now and again he kicked away a
shower of stones. At last the up
per mesa was reached, and before
Dave realized it Black Dawn had
come to a stahdstill in front of
the cabin, looming darkly up out
of the scrub.
Dave slipped from the saddle
and caught Lois in his arms. He
carried her inside the cabin and
laid her on her bunk. He heard a
horse nicker somewhere, and
Black Dawn's trumpeting answer.
Then sounded the thud of hoofs,
and the stallion was gone.
Dave found the lamp and lit it.
He was surprised how his fingers
were shaking. He looked at Lo-
is and saw that the blood was
still oozing from the wound in
her shoulder.
He pulled down the stained
overalls and the soaked garment
beneath, exposing the white flesh
of the upper arm. He dabbed at
it with the corner of the gar
ment, and, to his relief, saw that
the wound was a slight one. A
bullet had struck just below the
collar bone and scared its way a.
cross the flesh of the shoulder,
but it had apparently severed a
small artery in it's course. The
bleeding, however, had almost
ceased.
Dave lit the kerosene stove and
set water on to boil. He went
back to the side of the bunk and
pressed his fingers upon the flesh
about the artery. Suddenly he
was aware that Lois eyes were
open, and that she was looking at
him.
you're all right, Miss Lois" "
he said. "Just nicked you. You
don't mind my takin' care of yore
wound? I wish there was some
disinfectant, You amt got none?"
Lois shook her head. Her eyes
were pools of unfathomable gray,
searching Dawes, searching for
the answer to her unspoken ques-
ton. Dave answered it.
"You saved my life when it
wasn't worth biddin' a cent in a
thousand dollars on" he said
huskily. mo, I didn't kill Mr..
Hooker. Some skunk shot him
through the window while we
was talkin'. can't say more
than that. You can believe me
or not just as you please. No,
you got to believe me, Lois"
Il guess I do" Lois answered.
"Pd never have saved you-me
and Black Dawn-if I hadn't be-
lieved you. He didn't often make
mistakes in judging men, Mr..
Hooker didn't. It was only be-
cause you broke Black Dawn, 1
reckon. I couldn't stand for that
not knowing who you were" Her
voice trailed away weakly. "How
long have we been here?" she
asked.
"Not more than fifteen minutes.