The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-08-13
>sssSSsS w. No. FEATURES

, He saw Curran's leering face
near him, and he understood that
he was to be thrown, butchered
> trampled into shapeless thing in
the dust of the corral, to make
sport for the foreman and his
gang from below the border.
Here's yore blanket, saddle,
and bridle," said Curran. ''Once
yo're up, you kin ride him hell
bent to the finish. He amt never
been beat yet. You beat him, and
the jobs yours
Even then Dave prepared for a
determined resistance on the part
of Black Dawn to being saddled
and bitted. But the horse offered
not the least resistance, and Dave
quickly had the saddle on and
the cinch frightened. Nor was
there any resistance when he put
the Spanish bit into the still ami
mails mouth.
Slowly Dave unsnubbed the
rope and released it. The horse
stood motionless. Holding the
reins short, Dave climbed the
fence and vaulted into the sad
die.
Dave thrust his feet into the
Stirrups and pressed the horses
flanks with his knees. Black
Dawn ambered slowly along the
fence for a dozen yards. And
then all hell was loosened.
Rearing, bncking, sunfishing,
the lack devil set in motion every
muscle of his mighty body in the
effort to shake himself free of his
human burden. Dave, with feet
jammed into stirrups, gave the
horse his head, quitting him mer-
cilessly as he went through all
the maneuvers of his tricks.
Once, in the middle of sum
fishing contortion, Black Dawn
suddenly stood still. Reaching
back his head, he snapped at
Dawes leg with teeth that missed
crunching the shin-bone by the
merest fraction of an inch.
Dave let the beast have the
quirt across the face then. And
the horse, screeching with fury,
jammed itself sideWise against
the fence-rail with a thud that
sent two posts rocking crafty.
Dave was ready for that. He had
slipped sidewise like a circus rid
er. Then, as the horse stood still,
his feet were back in the stirrups
again, and still the quirt came
down on flank and shoulders, and
the spurs dug blood from the
heaving sides.
Suddenly Black Dawn knew
that he was done, and brought his
last trick into play. He screamed,
he reared, he toppled backward.
AS he did so, Dave flung himself
sidewise from the saddle. He
landed on his feet, slipped in a
mass of churned up mud, was
down for an instant, then up once
more as the mighty bulk of horse
flesh came crashing down beside
him with kicking legs and gnash-
ing teeth. Up, quirt in hand, and
hands upon the bride, forcing
Black Dawn to rise.
Black Dawn stood with lowered
head, quivering with defeat. For
the first time in his life the man
killer, with four lives to his cred
it, realized that he had found his
master.
Dave leaned forward and pat
ted the creatures neck. Slowly,
and staggering, Black Dawn NOV
ed round the corral until Dave
halted him opposite the group of
gaping punchers.
"How about that job, Curran?"
asked Dave.
reckon you won II, Curfan
answered surlily.
yeah? Well, you can keep your
damn job. You knew that horse
was a killer. You meant me to
be killed, SOS you could have
something to laugh about. I'm
goin' to make you laugh. Drop
your belt and put your hands up!"
For moment Curran's face
grew wditer. 'Why, you-you
=" he began to buster
"Nou heard me, Curran. If
you're a man and not a skulkin'
coyote, drop your belt!'
Dave suited the action to the
word, Embossed his own belt and
let it fall to the ground Curran
still hesitated. Wilbur Ferris
came hurrying up.
''What's the trouble? What's
the trouble?" he babbed. 'You
broke that horse, didn't you,
Bruce? And Curran promised
you a job if you could do it. All
right, what's the trouble them"
II wouldn't take a job with
your outfit, Ferris-not for any
sum you was within to pay"
Dave answered. t'I'm ridin', but