The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-08-12

Sure" nodded the mining expert.
Dale was on his way to the new
siding the following morning, when he
met Henderson Golf. 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 q word.
Then the shyster coal man called
out, Ready to sell yeti"
The Moreland Coal company's man.
ager halted and faced about with q
pickering 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 1t from mel"
II don't want 1t from you"
Dale turned and went on. He was
sorry that he had stopped to talk with
the fellow.
That afternoon he again met Golf
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. Goff 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. You 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 I see you. Now
move on I"
Golf went off laughing wickedly.
"Oh. all right, Dale; 60 ahead and
the little road for me !" he said.
Late that night every sleeper In the
valley of the Doe was awakened by q
great, rumbling explosion, which was
followed almost Immediately by an
other great, rumbling explosion. Be-
fore the reverberations had died
away, Bill Dale had dressed himself
was standing on the vine-hung
front porch, and he was only a few
ahead of John MOreland.
Then there came the tearing sound
If a heavy explosion miles to the east
ward.
"Do We know what 1t isl" inquired
he mOuntaineer.
They've stolen our dynamite from
he tObaccO-barn, and blown up the Of
ice and supplies building and the COM
building; also they've blown ,
Up the big trestle near the siding" .
Dale answered. l
ATS my guess, too" said More {
and. q
Within the mex half hour Dale and
1ayes, Major Bradley, and the men, .
ok of the MOrelandS and the Little /
OrdS had gathered around the wreck {
f the w big, unfinished frame build I
ngs. Dale blamed himself much for |
aving left dynamite unguarded in the
ObaccO-barn-but nobody else blamed
i'm for it.
Its time to let the law in," he said
he had viewed the jumbled mass
f broken plankS and timbers by the |
ight of lanterns. He turned to stall |
'art Luke MOreland. |
You get on my horse and ride to |
'artersville for the sheriff. Tell him p
e can get the best posse in the world :
ight here, if he needs one. It's the
roper thing, isn't it, major?"
"Yes," said Major Bradley, "it's the
thing. You've got a real griev-
nee now. But l fancy Golf had moth
lg to do with this; he is shrewd "
lOugh to know that a thing like this r.
Ould cook his goose. Golf has been &c
laying a bluff game all along, you n,
now. Some Balls or some Torreys, nj
a mixture of both, have done q,
is without COTS knowing anything IN
bout it. I'd have Sheriff Flowers ar =,
st several of the Balls and several
the TOrreys, and try to scare them =.
to turning states evidence to save NJ
emselves."
Ii HidJOI uuISLcu III d low tone, r.
cause Of the probability for caves
oppers, and in this he was wise.
Wen do that" Dale decided.
He faced Hayes, his right-hand man,
ID began to give orders like a vet tn
an general manager. The men were lol
take their rifles with them to work no
the morning, but they were to fire 1,U
shot unless 1t was in defense of fri
e or property. In the morning every me
ailable wagon in the valley was to be
SEN to the little sawmill that was ca,
operation ten miles toward the low. in
Id for more building material. col
BY Heck Joined them then. He wO
essed just what had happened, tip
licked at Dale's sleeve and whis- tri]
red: mu
'SpOsen I takes q sneak or two to- wv
I'd them lOwdOwn, walnut-eyed, ant