The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1943-02-18
So DARK LICHINNJC CHA
WAkA By HELEN TOPPING MILLER E1 ISL 49,
WIN y. FFATURts

treated to a coat of paint to keep
the threads from rusting.
! well, we did our best, Hick-
ey," Gary said. "And now I guess
I'll be on my way-Mexico or
some other place. So I may. as
we'll say good-by now"
Hickey held out a paint-smear-
ed hand. IF you ever get broke
and amt got nowhere to 60, you
know where I live.
Much obliged, Hickey. I won't
forget. But I think I'll drift along
farther"
He saw Bill Grant coming up
the slope from the Grice- Morgan
lease. The three derricks were
up down there now, and Bill
would be moving on presently,
too.
Heard about job over in the
Pecos country" Bill said. mice,
lonesome country over there. So
everything's bust, is it? thought
maybe"
well, what do you think? Me,
with no job and sixteen dollars
in my jeans. The lady likes mon
ey, she doesn't like oil men," =
EM'm," unused Bill '"Say, I
forgot to tell you what I came
up here for. Grice is on the job.
got my orders to bring you on
Idown." -.
II can listen. But it won't do
him any good"
Grice was red-faced man with
a cold gray eye.
Hear you're abandoning your
WE'LL" he said. Money run out?"
Were abandoning drilling on
Mr.. Mason's ORDERS" Gary said.
IF you want detailed informa-
ton, you'll have to talk to him"
1--WE got all the information,
Grice said. 81 know how much
he's sunk in that we'll. 1t was a
fool proposition from the start
and we tried to sell him that idea
Indirectly, of course. But we
didn't get anywhere with it. We
though Kimball could handle the
business, but he bungled it every
time he turned around. He told
us he could get us the lease on
Mason's land. This stuff down
here isn't big enough-we've got
to expand. If we had Mason's
stuff we could 60 somewhere
But Kimball fell down on it, and
so I was thinking, now that Ma
sons quitting acknowledgements
you
"You want me to talk Mason
into leasing to you, is that it?"
said Gary, in a cold, level tone.
$50 you can 60 out and sell stock
in an oil field to little school
teachers and widows with a little
insurance-and bring 'em out
here to see derricks going up and
drills going down-and every
thing but DILL"
Look here-I'm ready to make
you a legitimate proposition. The
we'll up there is no good to Ma
son. He'll pull his derrick down
and having an abandoned well
only quarter of a mile from us
isn't going to be good for our bu-
siness. You're in a better posi-
ton to handle Mason right now
than anybody-and We'll take
care of you, of course ="
'The way you took care of old
man Harper when he went out
and cut Mason's water line? And
Slide Ellis. when he trumped up
a fake lawsuit to harass Mason
and delay work on his well?"
Listen, buddy, when a bust
ness man won't listen to bust
ness argument
| w IlSdI " WIldl IlS SdlQ, ILL
Gary was grim. keep it in
mind, I may need you. AS for
you, Mr. Grice-I'm young and
out of a job and because I was in
a tight spot I worked for you for
two days. But I don't want the
money. You can tear up the
check. I've never worked for a
crook-and I don't expect to be-
gin. Good day, sir"
He turned away but Grice
sprang in front of him, squaring
his thick body.
'Look here, you young pup
you can't talk that way to me!
I'll run you out Of the country
I'll"
Cali right Gary set his jaw,
drew back his arm. "I'll give it
to you in way you will under
stand, then!'
He swung once at the pulpy,
crimson face Grice went down
with a wheeze and a grunt.
Red-hot pain shot along Gary's
tortured shoulders, but he was