Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-08-25

Of information.
'Well, Bill, old boy" he began-and
then stopped to wonder why his cigar
wouldn't smoke as well as the majors.
well, Bill, old boy" he went on, final
ly. Henderson Golf, he's shore been
as busy as a one-armed man in a bum
blebee's nest. l CANT see, igod. what's
wrong with this here seegyar. He's
went and brung about twenty-five Tor
reys from two places knowed as Jer-
us'lem cove and HattOn's hell, to help
work his mine when he gifts it. They're
all a-puttin' up with them Balls. The
Torreys is part Injun, Cherokee In
jun, and pve heered it said 'at they
was as bad or wuss'n rattlesnake
BROTH"
Major Bradley blew little cloud of
smoke upward. More of the game of
bluff, perhaps" he suggested.
I'm inclined to think So" thought
fully said Dale "WeH. Wen avoid
trouble as long as we decently can;
and when we can no longer get around
it, we'Il call in as much of the law
>
Eh, Hayes?"
"Sure," nodded the mining expert.
Dale was on his way to the new
siding the following morning, when he
met Henderson Goff Again Dale was
| fOrcibly reminded of stories he had
heard and read of Mississippi river
steamboat gamblers of the long ago.
| Golf stepped out of the trail. smiled
and spoke with apparent good humor
Dale passed him without a word.
Then the shyster coal man called
out, Ready to sell yet?"
The MOreland Coal company's man.
ager halted and faced about with a
puckering of his brows.
For a fair price, yes"
"Just what would you call a fair
price?"
"Oh, somewhere between two and
three hundred thousand" promptly.
Golf shifted, and the corners of his
mouth came down.
You don't want much. You won't
get it from meI'
81 don't want it from you"
Dale turned and went on. He was
sorry that he had stopped to talk with
the fellow.
That afternoon he again met Goff
| in the trail. The bare sight of the
shyster made, him very angry now, and
his right hand fell upon the butt of
the big revolver on his hip. Golf was
about to sidestep in the laurelS, when
Dale caught him roughly by the arm.
"See here" he said sharply, you've
about cut your little swath. We've
had enough of YOU. lou can't get this
coal at any price and the sooner you
get yourself out of this country the
better and safer it will be for you.
To be plain, I'm pretty apt to thrash
you the very next time see you. Now
move on!'
Golf went off laughing wickedly.
"Oh, all right, Dale; go ahead and
build the little road for me!' he said.
Late that night every sleeper in the
valley of the Doe was awakened by a
great, rumbling explosion, which was
followed almost Immediately by an
other great, rumbIing explosion. Be
fore the reverberations had died
away, Bill Dale had DIRE; sed himself
and was standing on the vine-hung
front porch, and he was only few
seconds ahead of John Moreland.
Then there came the tearing sound
of a heavy explosion miles to the east
ward.
do We know what it isr' inquired
the mOuntaineer.
They've stolen our dynamite from
the tobacco-barn, and blown up the of
flee and supplies building and the com
missary building; also they've blown
up the big trestle near the siding,
Dale answered.
"'Ats my guess, too," said More
land.
| Within the next half hour Dale and
Hayes, Major Bradley, and the men.
folk of the Morelands and the Little
fOrds had gathered around the wreck
Of the two big, unfinished frame build
ings. Dale blamed himself much for
having left dynamite unguarded in the
tobaccO-barn-but nobody else blamed
him for it.
IT'S time to let the law in," he said
when he had viewed the jumbled mass
of broken planks and timbers by the
light of lanterns. He turned to stall
wart Luke Moreland.
You get on my horse and ride to
Gainesville for the sheriff. Tell him
he can get the best posse in the world
right here, if he needs one. It's the
proper thing. isn't il major?"
YES" said Major Bradley, its the
proper thing. You've got a real griev,
ing to do with this; he is shrewd
enough TO know flat a thing like this
| would cook his goose. Golf has been
playing a bluff game all along, you
know. Some Balls or some TOrreys
perhaps a mixture of both, have done
this without Goff's knowing anything
about it. I'd have Sheriff Flowers ar
rest several of the Balls and several
of the Torreys, ard try to scare them
into turning states evidence to save
themselves"
The major finished in a low tone,
because of the probability for caves
droppers, and in this he was wise.
Wen do that" Dale decided
He faced Hayes, his right-hand man,
and began TO give orders like a vet
eran general manager. The men were
to take their rifles with them TO work
in the morning, but they were to fire
no shot unless it was in defense of
life or property In the morning every
available wagon III the valley was to
be sent to the little sawmill that was
in operation ten miles toward the low
land for more building material.
BY Heck joined them then. He
guessed just what had happened,
plucked at Dale's sleeve and whis-
pered:
"SpOsen | takes sneak or two to-
ward them lOwdown, walnut-eyed,
knock-kneed, dadhlamed Balls and