THE GRAVE 7

shug was careful when he got to carries little cabin. he didnt want some one to see him entering. he put the boxes on her table and went back out and shut the door. there was a man on the edge of town who was knowen to by and sell anything. he needed to sell his pelts. he knew they wouldnt bring a lot but any thing was better than none. this town liveing was a expensive proposition. a few hours later he was walking back down town. he reflected he was the apache but a white man had just scalped him in buying his pelts. the livery man was pleased with them gone. they were smelling up the barn and some of the horses were being unsettled. as he walked through town he took his time and took in the sights. as he passed the saloon he heard raucus laughter and converstion comming from it. he went on by. he knew whiskey and indian blood didnt mix well. a little while later he found him self at the edge of town. boot hill was before him. he walked up to his fathers grave and stood there a long while. he felt he needed direction. but had no one to tell him which direction. he knew trapping was going out of style. isolated areas would still produce pelts but they had no value. he couldnt see himself behind a store counter. being cooped up in a building wasnt very apealing. he knew he would loose his mind there.he stood there looking at the grave a long time hopeing his father would speak to him and tell him what to do. everything was all silence. not even a breeze to rustle the mesquite trees around the cemetary. finally he turned and started back to town. he found a chair across the street from the dress shop where carrie worked. he settled into the chair. as the sun slowley dropped out of the sky into the western horizon he saw carrie come out of the dress shop and start toward home. as she passed the front of the saloon he could see a couple of grizzled faces watching througgh the windows. shug didnt move. but just as carrie got past the saloon doors the two men came out behind her, each had a beer mug in hand. but just as one was going to speak the other nuged him. they both looked over at shug across the street. shug heard one say" that aint him he aint around." shug stood up and watched as the one man who spoke started following carrie down the street toward her home. shug walked along on his side of the street watching. the drunk was almost to catch up with the girl when shug steped down onto the street and started across the street. the man hesitated and looked at shug, then said" by grab it is you, but gettin cleaned up dont make you no better than a blanket butt injun." " do we gotta do this every night? because if we do ime just gonna scalp you now so i can tend to other things. i want this understood LEAVE THIS WOMAN ALONE!"shug made a point of the statement. the man had a pistol belted around his waist. he dropped the beer mug and started to reach for the gun. but shug had walked up close and grabbed the mans arm." dont do that, just go back to your friend." the man slowley turned and started back to the saloon. carrie had reached her cabin and gone inside. shug stood there alone in the gatherinf dusk. then turned toward the livery stable. he had a bag of jerky there for supper. "