THE GRAVE 25

for the better part of the night the four law men stood ready watching the mob in the street , ready for the rush they had swore to produce. but around 2 A.M. the crowd started falling apart. people wandering off to go to bed. the whiskey had beat them. by 230 only about five of the town drunks remained in the street with a bottle of whiskey and yelling curses at the jail. the judge looked at the cell block. " will those miscredents fit in there?" he asked. slaughter opened the door to the street and with the shot gun leveled at the five spoke; "drop the bottle boys and come on in here." while the five were muttering and looking about shug on one side and billy foure on the other walked up behind them, shot guns leveled. " MOVE!" billy poked the nearest one with the barrel of the shot gun. with the last of the trouble makers locked up the judge laid out a plan for the four law men. " i dont like it much but this will put a end to this foolishness and its legal." the judge said. the other three nodded solomley. a half hour before sun up but with it light enough to see the four started blake up the street toward the cemetary shug rolled a water barrel along, billy fouer brought a rope off a saddle horse tied in the street.slaughter prodded blake along with the shotgun. at the edge of the grave yard stood a oak tree.shug rolled the water barrel up under it and stood it up. billy foure threw the rope over the highest limb . blake was told to get up on the barrel. he whimpered but found his way to standing on it. the judge produced a burlap sack and asking blake for his last words stood aside while blake berated the four of them for hanging him. when he was done the judge pulled the sack over blakes head then the loop from the rope over his head and snugged up. billy tied the rope off solid on the trunk. the judge read the death warrent aloud . when he finished he nodded to slaughter. slaughter stepped up and kicked the barrel from under blake. the killer simply kicked a couple of times then hung still sawying on the end of the rope. billy was going to untie the rope and the judge stoped him." leave him. we will send the under taker down to dig a grave and he can take him down. i want this miserable mass of humanity to see the results of the law." shug had stood quiet while the whole procedure had been done. he had enough of the law enforcement business. yes this man killed his father and others but some how this didnt feel right. the judge looked at him " boy, this was final. it was done so this man couldnt commit any more crimes against humanity. he was hung not only for those he already killed but for those he might kill in the future. " shug nodded then along with the others shouldered his shot gun and started walking back to town. ten days later carrie stood to one side as shug packed his pack horse with his traps and camp gear. after the hanging of blake he had helped slaughter escort the five drunks to the edge of town under the threat of the shot guns. they were told not to return. shug had the turned his badge in to slaughter. simply saying; "ime not cut out for this, i guess the white half hasnt got the stomach for it." slaughter simply nodded and told him thanks for his service. when he paid shug his pay for the time he had put in shug handed it to carrie. "will you come back?"she asked. "when this horse is loaded with pelts. billy has told me that if i want to run a few cows he will let me run them with his. ime going to build us a cabin, and when i come back ill collect you. if you will have me." "thats how you ask?" carrie tilted her head. "its a little white man and a little indian. ill try to get better before i come back" " you wont need to, ill be ready." carrie smiled as shug mounted and took up the lead rope and turned to the trail out of town. billy foure waited for him at the grave yard.