The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-11-19

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him. It was Curran. The foreman
had hung back, intending to let
the Cross-Bar crowd do his fight
ing for him. But the sight of Dave
had driven him mad with rage
and transformed his face into the
mask of a wild beast. He leaped,
gun in hand, and snapped the
trigger, the muzzle a foot from
Dawes forehead.
Dave had just warning enough
to swing his head aside. The blast
of the powder burned his cheek
black from chin to temple. He
swung his revolver muzzle in
narrow arc and landed on Cur
rams face.
Shrieking horribly with anguish,
Curran turned and ran.
Curran's course of flight was
taking him toward the horses that
the attacking party had left stand
ing.
And then of a sudden a shout
of triumph burst from Curan's
throat, and at the same moment
Dave saw the five horses, punched
together.
He fired his last shot, and it
went wild. Curran must have
heard the click of the hammer
on a spent cartridge as Dave pull
ed trigger again, for he turned
and roared curses at his pursuer.
"Tll see yuh again, yuh swine"
he beloved. "I'll git yuh, Bruce"
And blindly Curran grasped at
the name of the horse that stood
nearest him, and thrust foot into
the stirrup.
That was where fate interviewed
and stacked the cards against him.
For that horse was Black Dawn.
With a squeal of fury, Black
Dawn whirled and seized the
foreman's leg in his strong teeth,
crushing it, and dragging Curran
shrieking from the saddle. He
flung him to the ground, and
shrieks of man and horse blended
together in a hideous pandemon-
ium as Curran struggled helpless
ly to escape.
Dave tried to whistle to Black
Dawn, but the stars were circling
overhead, and he collapsed, half
conscious, on the ground near the
dead man.
The singing taste of whisky in
his mouth revived him. Dave
opened his eyes and saw that it
was dawn. He was lying where
he had fallen. but a blanket had
been spread beneath him. He felt
stab of pain in his left arm,
looked at it, and saw that his
shirt sleeve had been cut away,
and that the wound had been
bandaged.
Dave! Oh, Dave, are you all
right"
1t was Lois bending over him,
her tears dropping upon his face.
Beside her stood Sheriff Coggs-
well. The horses and Curran's
body were gone.
I'm all right" Dave mumbled.
BLACK Dawn? He's safe?"
"He's safe, Dave" 1t was the
sheriff who answered him.
Dave was getting on his feet.
"Curran - Black Dawn trampled
him" he began.
Yeah, he's dead" said Coggs-
we'll. "Sit down, if yuh won't lie
down." He rolled cigarette and
handed it to Dave, squatting be-
side him. "Sims got them Mexi-
cans rounded up and hogtied. I
picked up Miss Lois when I was
ridin' in. Everything's jake, boy,
and yo're cleared.
Lonergan talked to a certain
point last night, and then he shut
up tight. So I went down to ex-
anime Ferris body in the gully.
Ferris was still alive, and anxious
to make an ante-mortem state
ment. He just had time to come
through with it before cashin' in.
THAT skeleton yuh found in the
ravine was Blame Rowland's I'd
knoWed it since yuh spoke about
his leg havin' been broke. Row.
land was kicked by a hawss and
broke his leg. He always limped
after that, on account of it's hav-
ing been badly set.
Ferris lured Rowland into the
hills with story of gold deposits,
and murdered him. Then he cook
ed up that story about Rowland's
havin' forged the check and skip
ped the country, SO as to cit the
whole rights to the Cross-Bar in
his own hands.
"Then he got into difficulties.
Either he went to Lonergan, or
Lonergan found out. Lonergan
he'd Ferris where he wanted him
after that. He got that twenty
thousand, and he got a mortgage
on the Cross-Bar by means of a
fictitious 1oan that Ferris never