THE GRAVE 8

shug didnt really know why he was befriending this girl except she had been a friend of his fathers. he should be out and about trapping or hunting a job. but for a unexplained reason he kept a eye on carrie. early mornings he would position himself where he could watch her walk to work then in the afternoons he did the same. the rough crowd in the bar would watch her on the way home but would stay in the bar. shug just stayed on his side of the street but just his presence was enough to detere the drunks. dureing the day he would hang out at the livery stable and look out after his horses. or many times he would walk up on boot hill and visit his father. but the old man offered no solution to his future. on the morning of the fourth day he was in the livery brushing his horse when a shadow fell across the horse and blocked the sun light from the door. shug dropped his hand to his knife hilt. " no need for that boy. ime peaceable." the man speaking steped to one side of the door. he wore a badge pinned on his shirt pocket.the man carried a long tom shot gun. but it pointed to the sky." i need a deputy here, would you be available?" " i dont know a thing about being a deputy. ime a trapper. and a half breed is anyone going to respect me?"shug went back to brushing the horse. " they dont respect the man, its the badge they need to respect. i been watching you for a few days. you could have gotten real bloody and not committed a crime looking out for that woman. but you used good reasoning. they will respect you. if your gonna hang around town you just as well get paid for it. i need to go back out to my ranch i dont think i would be leaveing the job here in any better hands.what do you say?" the sherriff stated. " when you need a answer?" shug kept brushing" ill need to think on this." " i want to go to the ranch day after tomorrow. will you give me a answer tomorrow?" the short man stated. he turned and walked back into the day light. shug kept brushing" ill sleep on it."