Page 227
By Jack Joseph Smith
they were with his figure up out of the canyoned
valley. Prankster then left Davenport and Driver,
and went to stand with arms folded at the far West
side of the circle. There near the outside of the
medow, the wind turned thin branched twigs, and
bunched weed tumbled every so often with the shift-
ing.
Blackman came across the last hill before a dip
and then a slope up to the peak would take him to
where he imagined Shotgun Man would be standing,
but a sudden flash saw him spot Shotgun coming down
the last slope toward him. Because the distance be-
tween the two men was not extreamly far, Blackman
knew it strange that his good eyesight was not
distinguishing features on Shotgun's moon face. Quick-
ly though the image of breaking down sculptured Gold
artifacts with white fire substantiated his convict-
ions; and he recognized that the features of Shot-
gun's face had been melted flat from fear.
"So the licenced monsters have come again," he
spoke aloud to himself. "This time we will all def-
end; my body, and their minds."
He did not pick his pace up into a run, but steady
timed his shoulders and spine bowed out in a gate
assured to powerful animals in danger.