The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-07-23
CHAPTER TX

Morgan was standing alone in
his kitchen, thinking of Hack Breath
lit. He refilled his coffee-cup, stand
ing with his feet apart in the middle
of the kitchen; light struck the sur
face of his eyes, setting up a quick
frost-glow. Restlessness turned him
out of his tracks and made him
gently circle the room. Breathitt,
he thought, would be sitting some
where in the hills, laughing at
the posses on his trail and ironically
amused at a world which could turn
him into a fugitive overnight. Nor
gan speculated on Breathitt's possi-
BILE hideout. The three of them,
Breathitt and Hillhouse and himself,
had ridden this country for years
together and knew every hollow and
ravine and windfall pit.
He pulled the coffee-cup from his
lips and held it suspended, sudden
ly struck by a warning. If he were
familiar with Hacks ways, SO was
Hillhouse.
Morgan turned to the living room,
pausing there only long enough to
get his hat, his gun and belt, and
to lift Winchester from the rack
near the door. He crossed the yard,
lugged his saddle gear from the
horse barn and roped pony out of
the corral. Cap Vermilye and Harry
Jump strolled forward. In these
moonshot shadows they watched
him thrust the Winchester into its
boot beneath the saddle fender and
swing aboard. Harry Jump said,
gently: mice night for ducks"
''rll be riding around, here and
there" explained Morgan. Don't
know when I'll be back"
When he turned the prov of the
Moguls the lights of Long Seven
were cut off. The moon was at
three-quarter stage and SO he trav-
eled through shadows that had the
luminous, pearly shine of fog. Mo-
gurs SUBMITS were clear-black
against the sky; as he rode over
the meadows he saw the blurred
shadow of himself 60 forward in
lengthening distortion against the
yellow grass. At the jump-off of
the meadow lands, where Mogul slid
a thousand feet through pine groves
into the narrow valley occupied by
Herendeen, he paused to take his
survey. Dell Lake was silver cir
Gle, half-down the incline. The VAL
ley itself, filed with this nights fog
like mist, was winding silver rib
bon. He followed its course with his
glance, catching the distant glitter
of Herendeen's lights, and then his
attention came back to the red-yel-
low glow of campfire in the pines.
Probably posse.
The floor of the forest was thick
with needle droppings; it absorbed
the footballs of his horse complete
ly and so, gently walking the pony,
he drifted forward until he reached
the margin of light. Here he halt
ed, amused that none of the five men
crouched and lying by the fire yet
knew of his approach. Charley Hill
house squatted by the fire, idly feed
ing in pine branches. Two of the
other men were Herendeen riders,
one was Hamp Brigham, smaller
rancher from the Cache Mountains;
and the fifth, lying full length on the
ground, was Gurd Grant.
''Where you think you'll find
him?" Gurd asked.
mot on this side of the valley.
know Hack pretty well. He likes
the Caches better"
Morgan spoke from the protecting
shadows. That's the way l figure
it, Charley"
He had a swift sample of what
these men would do under strain or
surprise. Gurd Grant lunged to his
feet and Hamp Brigham and the
two men in the background were in
stantly up, Brigham reaching for his
gun. But Charley Hillhouse, cross
legged by the fire, only tilted his
head and stared over the point of
the flames.
Morgan said: about Government
Valley, Charley. Your beef is still
in there. Send somebody over to
drift it back
Hillhouse remained bumped over
the riame. He didn't look up. ''In
get around to it in time, l guess. .
1.-The time," decided Morgan, at
once matching Hillhouse's unfavor-
able manner, will be exactly forty
eight hours"
He thought of this all up the trail.
having his small moments of COM
y>ral,ancinp and caJppSc
The slope of the mountain leveIed
into small meadow, across which
Vance Ketchell's cabin lights
winked. Woodsmoke lay in curled
wisps on the still air. Going for
ward Morgan called: "Vance-hey
Vancel"
He heard Vance's boots drag over
the shanty's floor and pause. There
was this cautious interval and the
dimminR of the light before Vance