THE GRAVE 15

SHUG CAME INTO TOWN AT ALMOST A DEAD RUN. NEIL WAS JUST STEPPING INTO THE SALOON WHEN SHUG LEFT HIS HORSE AND RUSHED UP THE STEPS. WHEN HE CCAME INTO THE SALOON NEIL WAS IN FRONT OF HIM WITH HIS PISTOL DRAWN. THE STRANGER STOOD AT THE BAR, A DRINK IN HAND LOOKING AWAY INTO THE ROOM. without a second thought shug walked past neil and pushed his gun down as he appeoached the man at the bar. " are you blake?"shug asked as he stepped up. the man slowley took a drink of his whiskey and started to turn and face shug placeing the drink on the bar as he did. as he came around the bar tender warned;" shug he has a gun in his waist band!" shug looked him square in the eye"dont touch that gun. are you blake?" the mans hand hovered over the pistol butt that protruded from his waist band, "what if i am blake?what of it?" " your under arrest thats what. hand over that pistol." shug was firm. behind him shug heard a pistol click as it was cocked.with out looking back shug said" put it away neil, dont make me deal with you too. this man is going to jail" the bar tender was as far back as he could get against the bar.his face a mask of fear, his eyes darting from one man to another. he had seen to many shootings in his life, he didnt want to see another." neil please put the gun away, let shug deal with this. PLEASE!" shug stood there stareing at blake. he hadnt produced a weapon of any kind. but his voice and face were hard"use your thumb and for finger to pull that gun and hand it to me, now, right now!" blake looked a hole through shug he didnt make a move." and what if i dont? what you going to do about?" " ill kill you, i got a poster on you says dead or alive. now hand me that pistol."shug said conversationaly. the bar tender spoke up" blake do it!" blake shrugged his shoulders and started to reach for the pistol with the wrong hand. shug steped up close and slapped his hand away and pulled blakes pistol from his waist band. blake made a menacingly move and shug hit him across the jaw with the pistol. behind him neil said" move over shug let me have him." " no need neil hes going to jail" shug grabbed blakes arm and pulled him to the door, as he passed neil he looked him in the eye" dont do anything foolish neil i wouldnt want to be takeing you in like this" neil lowered his pistol. and bowed his head. blake had blood dripping from a cut on his jaw, he was dazed and didnt resist. when pushed into a cell he stumbled to the back wall. he turned to face shug. " ill get you for this injun.you cant hold me like this" " thats for the court to decide. you sit there and be quiet." shug turned the key in the lock and went into the other room. and put blakes pistol on the gun rack.it was then that it sunk in what he ad done.he slumped into his desk chair and ran his fingers through his jet black hair.his hand was shakeing. neil stood in the open door of the jail watching him" ime glad you stopped me shug. ime no killer. but that man is a mad dog. will he hang?" " its up to the court. if he did the things they say probably."shugs voice cracked. neil turned to walk away "that was the most bear cat thing i ever saw." " well just for the record, dont let me do it again!"shug said!