THE GRAVE 1

it was mound of fresh dirt. three feet wide and seven feet long. the dirt had been smothed over and patted firm with the back of the long handled shovel then smooth river rock had been carried and laid over it from one end to the other discouraging the varmits. at the head was a rough granite stone where the date had been chisled into it below the name rip choat. a live palo verde tree spread its limbs over half of the grave shadeing it from the harsh sunshine. only one person came to this lonely spot. he stood at the end of the grave, his hat in hand clasped to the other hand. his head bowed, a sniffle could be heard. his coal black hair hung down over his face while his head was bowed. his clothes were clean but a bit shabby from hard work. slowley he raised his head and tool one long look at the head stone , then turned on his heel and marched to the gate in the grave yard fence. just as he went out the gate a buggy pulled up behind his horse. he stopped and looked at the attractive woman driveing the buggy. she held the team of nervous , high stepping horses in check.next to her sat a dark complected man with black eyes. he wore a suit of woolen cloths in spite of the heat of this arizona community. the man in the buggy held a long tom shotgun and had a tin star pinned to his shirt. " are you shug choat?" the short lawman asked. the young man was takeing his pistol belt from his saddle horn where it had hung" yes sir ime shug. and your who?" "ime sherriff john slaughter and this is my wife. we need to talk." the short man replied. " we got nothing to talk about mr. slaughter." shug was pulling on the latigo strap cinching his horse up. " i disagree, we dont have to talk here . will come into town to my office?" the sherriff had a softer tone to his voice. shug looked over at him a almost hard as granite look on his face" i suppose if i dont you will have me arrested?" " dont make me make that choice. ill be in the office in a few minutes, please come ."slaughter sat back and his wife slapped the reins down the backs of the team.the buggy lurched forward and started down toward town. shug was buckling his pistol around his waist as he watched them drive away. from out of nowwhere a woman in along black dress and veil walked up. she passed shug with out a word and stepped up to the foot of the fresh grave her head bowed.shug stood there watching her, he was tempted to ask her who she was but stood rooted for a few moments then mounted and reined his horse toward town. he let the animal take its own time as they entered to main street. he rode up to the sheriffs office and sat there a moment before dismounting. tiein the horse he stepped up on to the board walk then turned the knob on the door and pushed it open." this better be good he muttered to him self. the short john slaughter sat behind a desk as shug came through the door." come in my boy, pull up a chair." he pointed to a straight back chair .shug drug the chair up close to the desk accross from slaughter. shug still hadnt said anything. he looked the sherriff in the eye. slaughter shuffled some papers on the desk," you got any idea who would want your daddy dead?" shug slowley shook his head." i havent talked to rip in a couple years. we didnt hitch after he left mom." " i under stand. do you want to know the circumstances of his death?" slaughter asked. " i know enough, he was shot in the back, i figgure it was to rob him."shug growlwd. " no he wasnt robbed. i have the contents of his wallett right here. i understand your mother has left the country?"slaughter explained. " yes , she died last year in lordburg. ime all thats left." shug answered. the sherriff pushed a long envelope across the desk to shug. " then i guess this is all yours. your dad was a popular gambler here about. ill be working on finding who did this. you dont have any idea who might have done it?" " like i said we didnt hitch. but ill keep a ear to the ground for any word. if i find the culprit ill avenge rip in my way. i might be half apache but ime working as a white man. but, the apache will come to the fore at times." shug picked up the envelope and turned to leave. " you best let the law handle this young man"slaughter spoke to the young mans back as he walked away.