Thursday, September 29, 1938
The FEUD at 1
SINGLE SHOT!
ffy Luke Short
FIFTEENTH INSTALLMENT
"He's wild!" Reilly yelled. "Let
go and ride up."
Crazed with pain, the horse
jarred down stiff-legged again,
humped its back for another pitch
and Dave savagely rubbed the
raw flesh. Halfway up in its arc,
the horse started a sunfish, and
when it landed Dave felt as if .he
were going to be ripped out of the
saddle with the sudden fall.
The horse had gone over the
trail edge.
With Dave's weight on its back,
the horse started to plummet
down the steep slope. Dimly, Dave
realized that in the quick descent.
Lew, who had held to the rope
trying to fight the horse down,
had been Swept from his saddle
by the swift yank on it.
"Steady, steady," he muttered
soothingly and part of his calm
was communicated to the horse,
who stopped, trembling.
He had to be quick. Closing his
eyes he pulled savagely at the
thongs binding his wrists to the
saddle horn. A sickening rip of
skin and one hand was free. Soon
the other was able to help him as
he turned in his saddle, struggled
to free his slicker.
The slicker free, Dave unrolled
it swiftly and found the gun
Hank had given him. Then,
reaching down and seizing the
bridle as reins, he spurred the
horse slowly from behind the
rock, looking up at the trail. He
listened for the sound of horses
in the canyon bed.
They were coming, both cursing
savagely, at a gallop. Dave pulled
his roan close in to the rock and
balanced his gun lightlv in his
bloody palm, his eyes thin, flinty
slits in his face.
Lew was the first to charge by,
and Dave yelled. Reilly, close on
Lew's heels, lunged into sight.
Dave wheeled his horse broad
side, in a high arc, slowly, crash
ed and bucked up. Reilly scream
ed as ,he catapulted from his sad
dle across his horse's neck and to
the ground.
"Two," he muttered thickly.
Spurring his horse over, he looked
down at the two men. Lew was
dead, drilled through the head.
Reilly was dying, if not dead. He
stared at the men dully, sunk in
a stupor of pain and fatigue and
thirst.
He shook himself. The knots
H k/i "
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DEALERS
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EMdn » N - c - State Road, N. C.
G> W . e " born J. M. Myers
EBan > C ' Swan Creek, N. C.
North Elkin Service Station Mrs. C. E. Myers
North Elkin Cycle, N. C.
to the ropes were under the
horse's belly where he could not
reach them; so, loading his gun
again, he shoved the muzzle of
his Colt against the rope beside
his foot and cut it with a shot.
Dismounted, he was so weak his
legs gave way under him.
"I've got to drink," he thought
dazedly, sitting on the ground.
Crawling over to Lew's horse, he
pulled the canteen from the sad
dle horn. After the first slow
drink he paused, then took a deep
draught, which strengthened him.
Then he lay down in the shade
of the rock, tore the slicker into
strips and, after washing his
wounds, bound them.
He considered the two dead
men. He pulled them over to the
opposite side of the canyon. Lay
ing them side by side, he piled a
cairn of stones over them.
Then he turned to the horses
standing in the sun. Dave mount
ed Lew's pinto and cut Reilly's
horse across the rump with his
rope. Dave had no idea where
the cabin lay, but he knew if
given their heads the horses would
make for it.
Then he settled down, keeping
his eyes and ears alert, riding
close to Reilly's horse. His own
mount followed wearily behind.
As the time went on, he be
came more weary and moved
closer to the lead horse, watching
it. When he heard it whinny
and saw it increase its pace, .he
smirred his horse and headed it
off.
Dismounting, he haltered the
horses to the ground, laying
heavy rocks on their reins. He
looked around. Ahead of him.
the land rose, broken and rocky,
to the lip of a ridge.
Directly below Dave lay the
barn nestled snugly against the
rock out of the wind. In the cor
ral adjoining it. he counted six
•horses, but Mary's was not among
them.
Watching the house and seeing
no signs of life, he decided that
no one was likely to come out and
surprise him.
He looped the lariat around a
Doint of rock, tested it, then let
himself down hand over hand to
the barn roof. Flipping the rope
loose, he let himself down to the
ground behind the barn.
His eyes roved the barn, settling
on a bearskin lying in a far cor-
THE ELKIN TRIBUNE, ELKIN, NORTH CAROLINA
ner. A plan formed slowly in his
mind.
Going out into the corral again,
he moved toward the gate, which
consisted of loose poles. The
horses watched him.
In the barn again. Dave picked
up the bearskin and went to the
stable door.
He sailed the bearskin out into
the middle of the corral, then
dodged back quietly for the back
of the addition.
The horses, smelling the bear
skin, milled wildly out the gate in
a stampede.
They fled past the south end
of the house, heading down a
narrow canyon to the east. Dave
crawled softly around the north
end of the shack. At the corner
he stopped, listened.
"Goddlemighty, it's them horses
scatterin'. Who left that corral
gate down?"
Dave did not recognize this
voice, but he did the voice that
answered. It was Sayres.
"You did, Ed, damn you!"
"But I never," Ed protested.
"Shut up and round 'em up,"
Sayres ordered. "You help him
too. Lafe."
Dave edged his head around
the corner of the house in time to
see two men file out and head
down the canyon afoot.
He gave them time to get out of
sight, then he edged around the
front door on his hands and
knees. He heard two men, one of
them Sayres.
"Fat'll send word where the
possee's headin' for. He'll have
some one in the posse, don't you
worry. If they crowd us, we bet
ter take the gal back to the line
camp in the timber, north.
"She's a pertty gal," the second
voice said.
"Ain't she though?" Sayres
drawled.
Dave straightened up and
swung the door open.
Both men were seated at one
end of the table, a bottle before
them.
In the least part of a second
Dave divined what Sayres was
going to do. Seated, the outlaw
could not get at his guns He
made to place himself be
hind the stranger, his hands claw
ing at his guns. Dave's shot was
quick, hasty, hardly allowing
time for his Colts to clear leath
er. The shot caught Sayres in the
side and pitched him into the
stranger. The impact sprawled
them both cm the floor. Then
Dave's rage broke, as he emptied
his guns into Sayres and the
stranger.
A feeling of sickness and wear
iness and disgust enveloped Dave
as he let his own gun sag. Sayres
lay sprawled over the upset chair,
face down, his guns fallen out of
his lifeless grip. The stranger lay
peacefully on his back.
He shucked cartridges into his
guns as he strode to the padlock
-5 ed door.
"Mary!" he called.
There was a sort of muffled cry
1 for an answef and Dave shot the
: lock off. He knew the two men
after the .horses would have heard
I the shots and would probably be
» running back now.
Once in the dark room, he made
> out a figure sitting tensely on the
l cot.
: "Dave!" she said.
I She was in his arms sobbing
■ i before he could recover from his
l surprise.
"Dorsey. Mary isn't here?"
I "N-n-no. I don't think so."
i "Who has the keys to the leg
; irons?"
i I don't know their names, but
• it's the boss."
He ran over to Sayres, rolled
i the body over and fumbled thru
I the pockets. His hands paused
and he listened, hearing the
; pounding of running feet. Slowly,
; his hand left Sayers and settled to
his gun-butt, his eyes narrowing.
The running ceased, and a man
stepped through the door hesl
' tantly, guns already drawn,
i Dave shot just once more and
the man pitched forward on his
I face. Suddenly, a window shat
i tered and Dave laughed.
I The second outlaw had chosen
wisely. He was forted up behind
' a rock sixty yards in front of the
s house.
I Dave found the keys on Sayres
! and returned to Dorsey, who
white and trembling, had wit
! nessed through the open door the
! duel with the outlaw.
1 "We kill coyotes because they
kill our cattle," Dave said softly,
! "And we have to kill these hom
bres, or they'll kill us.
I "I know."
"No you don't," Dave said, "but
> you will when you understand.
It's just bloody and cruel."
I "Do you feel that way about it
too?" Dorsey asked wonderingly.
"More than you," Dave answer
-1 ed.
"More because I'm the one
that's got to kill and kill."
"Then this isn't the end?" she
asked.
Dave shook his head grimly.
The outlaw in front of the cabin
was still to be accounted for.
Can we get away?"
Dave nodded. He stepped to the
back door of the addition and
shot the lock off.
"Step through here and wait
for me outside."
"What are you going to do?"
"A dirty job," Dave said slow
ly, "but a decent one, I reckon, at
that. I'm goin' to fire the place."
When she had stepped outside
Dave went into the main room
and scattered lamp oil on the
floor and blankets. Then he
touched it off and stepped out
side.
"That hombre out front has
only got a six-gun," Dave said.
He can't hit us—l don't think he
can even see us. Make a run for
the barn and I'll follow you "
"Look out! Dave."
Dave dropped on ,his face as a
shot blazed from the corner of
the cabin. He landed on his
stomach, rolling on his side, his
free arm whipping out his gun.
Only the edge of a hatbrim and a
gun showed but Dave emptied his
gun at them as he watched the
other gun explode. He felt a hot
searing pain in his arm and then
the shooting ceased.
«Ji? at u enins L hlmsel f against the
wall, he waited. No more shots
came and he made his way cau
tiously to the corner. He swung
fftw' w!!rf.n eady .VM? nd saw the out "
aw knefeiing. The man had died
like a tired child.
Dave shuddered and looked
away.
"I reckon we better hightail it,"
, flnal ly. and added slow
ly, Im sorry about that, but
there was no other way out"
Dorsey stood up suddenly.
"Take me home, please."
Dave remembered the stinging
scorn in her voice when he had
seen her in Dr. Fullerton's. "We'll
get the horses."
"Where are they?"
"About a mile from here. Can
you walk it?"
"Yes, I—" Dorsey at last lifted
her eyes to his set white face.
Continued Next Week
| AUSTIN
Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Lyon at
tended the Stone Mountain Bap
tist Associational meeting at
Piney Grove church Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Hawkins
and Garfield Key spent Sunday
at Lomax the guests of Mr. and
Mrs. Nymphus Hawkins.
Robert Dameron and Kermit
Lyons appeared on the amateur
show at the Elkln Fair Saturday
evening.
A number of people from here
attended the Royall family re
union at Roaring Gap church
Sunday.
Miss Eudura Crabb, of Win
ston-Salem, spent the week-end
here with her mother, Mrs. Flos
sie Crabb.
Rev. J. S. Adams is building a
new home. The building is lo
cated just above his store.
If It were not for the hindmost
man,-no one would have the hon
or of being in front.
NOTICE OF SALE
Under and by virtue of the
power contained in a certain deed
of trust executed by W. E. Bur
cham to the undersigned trustee,
recorded in the office of the Reg
ister of Deeds of Surry County in
Book 110, page 234, default hav
ing been made in the payment of
the note thereby secured and at
the request of the holder of the
same, the undersigned will offer
for sale at public auction to the
■highest bidder for cash on Mon
day, October 24, 1938, at one
o'clock P. M., in front of the Post
Office, Elkin, N. C., the following
described property, to-wit:
BEGINNING on an iron stake,
A. S. Bates' corner at the curb of
Elk Spur street, runs South 59
degrees West 196 feet to an iron
stake, cornering in said Bates'
line; thence North 29 degrees
West with Bates' and W. W.
Byrd's land 60 feet to a stake;
thence North 58 1-2 degrees East
about 168 1-2 feet to the curb of
Elk Spur street; thence with Elk
Spur street 61 feet to the begin
ning.
This the 20th day of Septem
ber, 1938.
EARL C. JAMES.
10-13 Trustee.
. 'j?
BP bv jffP
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
W. C. COX PAUL GWYN E. P. McNEER
C. S. FOSTER S. G. HOLCOMB F. M. NORMAN
H. P. GRAHAM J. L. HALL J. R. POINDEXTER
Elkin-Jonesville
Building & Loan Association
J. R. Poindexter, Pres. Paul Gwyn, Sec.-Treas.
A TIP TO HOUSEWIVES AND
HOUSEHOLDERS
Mrs. Housewife, Mr. Householder, do not fail to read
the article, "Keeping in Hot Water," which begins on
_ page 137 in the October issue of Good Housekeeping.
This article stresses the importance, from the
standpoint of health, convenience and the saving of
time and labor, of an adequate supply of hot water;
and the ease with which an adequate supply, auto
matically heated and controlled, can be had. "Install
ation corts of modern water heaters are reasonable,
perhaps lower than you have imagined," advises this
publication.
If you don't get Good Housekeeping regularly, be
sure to buy a copy or borrow a neighbor's.
Hot water service can be had economically—and it
needn't bother you any more than your cold water
supply. Let us tell and show you how simple it is with
an automatic storage type electric water heater.
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