Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-09-15
CHAPTER xII-continued.

III
John Moreland turned up the light
n little, and cracked a worn but time
ly joke; then he looked toward one
of the men whom he had fought
throughout many years, and muttered
into his thick brown beard:
saul, friend, Will We do us the ia
vor o. AKIN the blessin', eff We please"
Shore, John, O. course"
Saul Littleford, the very illiterate,
laced his big fingers together across
his plate, bent his head, and told the
good Almighty that they were all
very much obliged to Him for the fine
supper they had before them, for Ad-
die Moreland who had cooked it, for
peace, and for Bill Dale.
1t was almost midnight when the
visitors left. They had been sitting
outside, on the honeysuckle-scented
front porch and in the cabin yard. AT
last Bill Dale and John Moreland
were left together on the porch.
There's a thing that has puzzled
me since the moment / got here this
evening" said Dale. "Why is it that
nobody seems to be grleving over
-Caleb's being in jail?'
The big hillman's answer came al
most sharply: mo Moreland ever
grieved over sacrifyce, Bill"
Dale sat up straight. "a sacrifice
What do you meanF
This time the big hillmans answer
came slowly. Il mean 'at Gale he's
a-takin' all o. the load off o yore
shoulders at he can. Gale he's a-takin'
yore place in Jail ontel the trial comes
off, which1l be at the October term
o. cote. He trusts you to come back
and set him free on the day o the
trial. o. course you'll do it; we hain't
never doubted that fo' one little min
ute, Bill. But it wasn't all done fo'
yore sake. You're the hope o the
Morelands, and you can do a heap
more here an Caleb can
He leaned toward Bill Dale and
went on in confidential tone:
And / can tell We this here. eff
you're found guilty o KILN Adam
Ball, and sentenced fo' even one year,
the MOrelands and the Littlefords is
.a-goin' to take We from the officers and
turn ye loose with good, long start
on the law"
Wouldn't that be rather"
Da.e broke Off because he had seen
the tall figure of man appear in the
open gateway. 1t was BY Heck, and
he spoke.
Hello, John Moreland!"
Hello yeselfr' growled Moreland
who was not at all pleased at the in
terruption.
Heck advanced. carrying his rifle
by its muzzle. He halted with one
foot on the stone STEP.
"Pve got news fo' ye, Bill" he said
recognizing Dale even in the dark
ness. "rve been a-eavesdrappin' uf
at old Balls house, and had 10 choke
about ten dawgs TO do it. BIZ, old
hoy, them Balls has done swore by
everything ON earth and in Heaven
and in Torment at they'll kill you ei
thc law don't. Igod, ye'd better watch
out. Bill"
John Moreland rose from his chair.
Much obleeged to We, BY. And good
night to ye. Les go into the house
Bill. / didn't think them id pole
cats had that much narve-and dom
hardly believe it yit. 1t might ha' beer
white ticker a-tall1in. Their kind 0
white ticker amt hawnest. like B!
Hecks Is, though his'n is bad enough
Their kind'll make a man resurrec
his dead inemies out o. the graveyard
and shoot 'em up all over again. i
ain't a-goin' TO do great deal O. harm
Bill. eff ye don't light no lamp wheI
We go to bed. A man CANT never tel
Jest what's a-goin' to happen"
"And the BallTorrey outfit" Dal,
began, when the Moreland chief cut in
"Ef the Ball-TOrrey outfit poster.
You, they're every one purity durnet
apt to die with what is knOwed genial
ly in this section as the rifie-buIlet dis
ease"