Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-04-25
CHAPTER TX

Again a six-gun barked, sending its
echoes through the night. In the dis
lance, there by Don Attero's Cross, 6
dark splotch dragging across the ground
seemed to rise few inches, then aatten
out. And then silence
Instantly Michael Valdez eyes were
roaming over the nearby landscape,
searching out safe way to ride from
these heights to the floor of the valley
and then up to the other side where the
cross stood. He left the choice finally
to Ell Cielo, and the mount swiftly took
him down the rocky slope to the valley
| floor, with Juanita's mount, Pedro,
gingerly following.
Once in the knee-deep grass of the
lush valley, the two riders made all
speed across it. Not far from Don
Attero's Cross they stopped, slid from
their saddles and ground-hitched their
mounts. Silently they went afoot with
Ell Caballero Rojo in the lead, swift
moving, crouching figure that darted
across open silvered spaces and paused
in black shadows.
Juanita, in her tattered clothes, was
right at his heels-a second phantom
slipping through the night.
And then they saw it! They saw
what was on the shrine dedicated to the
memory of Don Attero! Valdez hastily
showed Juanita back as she gave a low,
frightened cry.
Don't look 7" he said sharply, and
his own blood felt suddenly frozen in
his veins. Get back! p
But it was too late. Juanita already
had seen, even as the man stared at
the awful sight, paralyzed. From the
ends of the horizontal beam swung
punches of cured tobacco from a drying
shed. And on the cross itself, spread
eagled, his hands clumsily spiked, with
their bleeding palms outward, hung the
body of a youth who had been no more
than nineteen.
About the neck of the dead young
man hung two stalks of tobacco. And
if anything was needed to complete the
CHASTITY picture, the moon supplied it.
For it seemed to center all it's brilliance,
like spotlight, on the victims agonized
face.
After Juanita's one low cry, neither
of them had made a sound, standing
there as motionless as marble statues,
with sick horror and loathing printed
on their moon-silvered faces.
After what seemed an eternity, VAL
DEE, his narrow dark eyes bright spots
of fire, reached out hand and touched |
the girls trembling shoulder.
Get going and trail that killers !
horse to wherever he's headed for" he
said tightly. 'But don't do anything
don't say a word about what you've !
seen here, even if you catch up with
the coyote who's riding the horse"
"But, senor," Juanira protested hot
", "even l who never kill who never
have had such a thought, must kill
him! Madre de dos! Such one may
be shot down without warning, like a
log that is mad"
NO." Valdez said firmly. 81 want
him to stay alive-for little while
yet"
ut serves some purpose, senor?" the
girl asked. "Some good comes of this
levil's life if he is allowed to walk the
,arth? Oh, but that cannot be! This
lime you must be mistaken, senior !"
Maybe" he said tightly. "But I'd
ike to know what it is all about. The
,iller devil shot that young hombre
irst--before he strung him up. With
lin already as dead as he would ever
'e, why was not the murderer salts
ied?"
Juanita shook her head in defeat.
Isl! Why was he not?"
well try to find out" Valdez prom
sed grimly. "You trail him. will not
zee you again tonight, but in the morn
ng I'll meet you in the town of Gold
Jreek"