Page 49 - Contrast1962v6n1

'horse stumbled slightly and continued painfully toward the wagon.
If he could only rest for a while...

George Crandall scowled when he saw the horse and rider slow-
.ly approaching. The rider was young, maybe eighteen; and judging
from the dirty, sweating pinto, he seemed to have been riding hard,
very hard. A shrewd smile replaced the frown.

"Hello, stranger," he said cordially, "looks like you've ridden
-quite a stretch."

"Yes, sir," the kid answered, "been timing my horse for speed,
.and I went farther then I expected. I'll just rest here a while if it's
.all the same to you, Mr. .. ?"

"Crandall's the name. Yeah, tie 'er by that tree and then have
something to eat with my daughter and me. You look like you could
use some food."

"Thanks, Mr. Crandall, I will. Oh, my name is Bill .. ; Bill
.Sutton."

Crandall hummed softly to himself as he gathered the food and
-dishes together inside the wagon. He carefully loaded an old re-
volver and hid it beneath his coat. At last Cathy could have the
;things that little girls dream about, and he-he could have respect-
ability. He sighed happily as the word repeated itself again and again
in his mind. Respectability. He buttoned his greasy coat and carried
the utensils from the wagon. The exhausted youth had already fallen
asleep under the wagon when Crandall looked down at him and
mentally debated whether to shoot him in his sleep or to awaken him
first. He glanced at the pinto and pulled out the gun.

"Hey, Sutton, or whatever your name is,"Crandall rasped and
kicked him in the side. "Git up, boy, so's I can kill you."

The boy blinked in amazement and looked helplessly at the
.sneering man above him.

"What do you mean, Mr. Crandall? I .. .I"
"Git up, kid. I know who you are, and I'm gonna turn your body
in."

"Give me a chance," the boy stammered in panic. "It was an
.accident... "

A scream suddenly electrified the air, and Crandall felt his whole
being freeze in horror as he saw a pony rear in terror, saw his child
thrown within a few feet of an ugly coil, saw,a snake raise its vicious
head to strike ...

The shot which rang out at that instant must have been heard
-over the entire earth, so loud did it resound in Crandall's ears, and

47