The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-09-17
CHAPTER XVII

Lige White, considerably disturbed
by his interview with Morgan and
pretty much at sea in his own mind,
travelled over the lower spur of the
Haycreek Hills and came down on
the Grant house at fast clip, the
sound of his arrival bringing Cath
crime to the door. He said: There's
hell to pay around here. Where's
Gurd?"
Upstairs. What's the trouble,
Lige?"
White called: "Hey, Gurd, come
down right now" He rolled himself
a cigarette while he waited and
made sketchy explanation to Cath
crime, nervousness catching at his
words.
Catherine said at once: eff there's
any help needed from Crowfoot Clay
will get it, not Ben Herendeen."
Gurd Grant looked sick and des-
perate. He put his shoulder against
the doorway. He said: "Lige, how
did we get into this mess? I'd give
thousand dollars"
Catherine turned on her brother.
whats bothering you, Gurd?"
Gurd dropped his eyes. His face,
normally SO light and cheerful, held
a sallow unhealth. It was hard for
him to talk and he pulled himself
together with an effort. His hands
shook; he noticed that and showed
them into his pockets. II was over
with Charley Hillhouse, on Breath
it's trail. We trailed Breathitt all
morning and found him asleep in
the Potholes. Of course thought
Charley meant to take him into
town, to jail. What else would a
man think? How was it possible for
me to figure that Hillhouse, who had
been Hacks friend for fifteen years,
would"
Catherine breathed out: "Gurd!"
"Sure," said Gurd Grant, sullen
and full of self-hatred. "Hillhouse
simply lifted his gun and killed
Breathitt. I tried to stop it. 1t
didn't do any good"
Lige White threw away his ciga-
rette, finding the flavor gone out of
it. He looked away from Gurd, sud-
denly unable to meet the expression
in the others eyes.
what could do, Lige?"
Catherine said: "You never should
have gone with Charley Hillhouse.
There was your mistake"
Lige said: "Stay out of what's
coming. That's the best you can do
for Clay now. We all got caught in
Ben's net. was fool not to have
known what he'd try to do. Now
we wiggle out. I'm going to town." +"
Catherine watched him go. When
he passed the far rim of the mead
ow she dropped her arm for Gurd
and faced him.
Her tone was soft and cool. "You
went after Hack because you want
ed to hurt Clay. know that. You
thought Clay and ;"
He showed reviving flash of an
ger: ''The night Ben and Lige and
I went up to Clay's place you were
there. I walked to the end of the
porch and saw your horse around
the house. You were hiding inside.
If you had nothing to be ashamed of,
why hide?'
She said: Because I had gone up
there to tell Clay what you and Lige
and Herendeen had said that night.
You were leaving Clay out of it, and
/ couldn't stand that. Ben had both
of you convinced. But didn't want
Ben to know was taking Clay the
information.
Gurd, stung by his mistakes, still
remembered he had given his word
to Herendeen. 1t was the one thing
to which he could cling. So he
said: 1--WE can't go against him.
I'll do nothing, one way or the 9TH
err"
She went on, as though not hear
ing him. ''They have quarreled toe
often. They'll meet" She stared al
her brother, cold as ice. IF Clay
should die, think I'd kill Ben. Is
it so horrible to say? Perhaps it is.
But I can't help it.
She walked from the porch to her
horse standing by. Gurd said, "Wait
a minute--where you going?" She
didn't answer. Swinging up a hand
she left the yard, bound toward Mo-
guls rim.
Charley Hillhouse brought ur
Breathitt's horse and lashed the
dead man to the saddle and took
him back to Three Pines. When he
came to describe the affair to Her
endeen the words seemed to stick
in his dry throat. 1t puzzled him
that it should be so hard to make