Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-09-29
Copyright By Doubleday, Page . %.
CHAPTER XIIl-continued.

p
The men were divided into two
watches. The first was to remain
awake and on guard until midnight
and the other was to go on duty from
midnight until dawn. The second
watch, with which was the factions
leader. had a nightcap of the vitriolic
whisky flung itself sprawling on the
ground and straightway went to sleep
The first watch sat around the
cracking brushwood fire and played
cards for chews of tobacco, cartridges
and pocket knives, sang strange and
outlandish songs and drank more
whisky. One very drunk TOrrey gam
bled away all his tobacco, all his cart
ridges, his knife, his rifle and his belt,
his coat and his hat, his boots and his
shirt-and offered to bet his trousers
and his ears on the turn of a single
card 1t was funny and 1t was dis
gushing, too. 1t was all the work OF
whisky. which Bill Dale had always
hated because 1t made men fools, made
them mouth their secrets and made
them commit murder.
After some two hours of these worse
than bacchanalian orgies the first
watch, heavy with drink, stopped play
Eng cards and singing outlandish
songs, forgot all orders and began to
nod. Then 1t was that Dale thought
of the man who had been his faithful
guardian for many days, the lanky
BY Heck. Why hadn't he thought of
Heck before? He wondered If Heck
had followed him to the trap, if Heck
was near him even then, if Heck had
gone for help.
By Heck had not followed Bill Dale
to the little basin. But he had fol-
lowed Henderson Golf, and Henderson
Golf had followed Dale to the little
basin. Golf had returned to the Big
Pine Mountain country only that day
and he knew nothing Of the plans of
the Ball-Torrey faction until he wit
messed the meckery of trial. Goff
was now crouching in the darkness on
the low line of cliffs to the eastward
from the walnut tree; and not far
behind him, we'll hidden in the black
laurels, watching him and watching
Bill Dale, crouched BY Heck.
Dale's guardian had not gone for
help, because he feared to leave Dale
utterly unprotected in the hands of
the gang of cutthroats. He believed
that he could rescue Dale himself
When the first watch became little
more drowsy, he would steal up be-
hind the tree and cut the cotton rope.
Then he realized that Golf had dis
appeared entirely. He crept forward
silently, his eyes alert, and a moment
later he saw Golf stealing toward the
walnut tree. He climbed noiselessly
down over the face Of the cliff and
followed Golf like a shadow. When
Goff's hands touched the tree, BY Heck
was within ten feet of 1t. Heck made
sure his rifle was ready and took an
other step forward, watching, listen
ing.
The shyster coal man leaned around
the tree to the left. In the glow of
the low-burned fire the blade of q
small knife in his hand cleaned dull
red. He whispered cautiously:
you're in fix, Dale. And It's
none of my doing, either. Give me
your word that I'll get that coal prop
erty for fifteen thousand, and I'll slash
the rope. How about 1t? Sick OF
this country, aren't your"
There came few seconds Of silence
.o,,o Co.. tbo I,,ctx, on nyano 10 tho cIoaY,
ers and the musical tinkle of the little
creek, after which Golf muttered dis
appointedly:
"Well, then, hangw
And Heck knew that Dale had re-
fused to sell the Moreland coal for
song even to save his life: AS Golf
stepped backward, the muzzle of the
tall hillman's rifle went against the
small of his back, and the tall hillman
whispered hoarsely, through teeth
tightly clenched:
"Slash at rope, d--n yore soul
Slash at rope. or i wisht may drap
dead eff I don't shoot yore backbone
into four thousand pieces, igod Slash
III"
Goff Strengthened in surprise. The.
rifles muzzle went harder against his
back and he knew 1t for exactly what
L was. He moved hand upward.
hen downward and the cotton rope
vas severed In half dozen places.
"Stiddy thar, nowl" whispered BY
Heck, and he began to back away.
Come along WI me, We dadslatted,
,anjer-bellled skunk. Bill he'll foller.' !
The three Of them hurried into the