The Glenwood post., 1921-07-30

But the blows Of the fighters were
growing weaker now. The sound Of
their laborsd breathing ross distinctly
over the gentle roar Of the sparkling
waters above
Then the watchers saw Adam Ball
lunge at his man, saw Dale stumble
out Of sheer weakness, saw Bale
mighty blood-streaked arms close
about the beautiful white body and
hug 1t close to his great and hairy
chest. A moment. and Ball was bend
ing Dale slowly backward and down.
ward more By reason Of weight than
Of strength another moment, and Ball
was about to sink the brown head I'M
der the surface!
Babe Littleford gave smothered
cry. John Moreland stepped toward
the water and shouted hoarsely:
Don't We drowned him Adam! Eff
We do, yell answer to mel"
Dale had gathered himself for a last
move. He slipped downward suddenly,
immersing himself completely. and
shot one arm around Balls thigh;
then, by great effort, he rose with
the giant and overthrow him, and
staggered free
Balls hairy face came to the surface
first. Dale fought back the pain Of
the water in his lungs, and the pain
as of sharp and Jagged slivers Of steel
In his hands, and struck madly, half
bindly, at the hateful face He kept
it down, but it wouldn't go under the
water completely.
Adam Ball began to drift as though
lifeless down the stream. Bill Dale
followed, still fighting weakly, choking
as he breathed. But soon he ceased
to strike. lie saw, msteau OF the beast
Ike face, flashes as of distant summer
lightning. and red blotches against
thick bluckness. The blotches faded,
ana all Became dark to him; he
pitched forward, gasping, and began
to drift down the stream &ith the
vanquished Ball.
Babe Littleford was standing in the
water to her knees. When Dale sue
cumbed to utter exhaustion, she start
ed toward him, to save him from
drowning. She felt strangely drawn
toward the big, white, clean man who
had whipped the Goliath she had al
ways dreaded. But she had gone only
few yards toward the center of the
river when John Moreland and Sam
Heck reached the unconscious figures.
Heck dragged Ball to the Littleford
bank and left him lying there, face
downward, on the sand MOreland half
carried, half dragged Bill Dale to the
other bank. Babe Littleford waded
out. She paid absolutely no attention
TO the worsted bully. She stood in
tently watching the limp form of Dale
rs he dead, John Moreland?" she
called TREMENDOUSLY.
No, Babe" Moreland answered, his
voice not unkind he amt anyways
nigh dead"
He and Sam Heck took up Dale's
dripping figure and bore it away. Babe
Littleford ran TO higher ground, hid
herself behind clump of sassafras
and watched them.
Granny Heck followed with Dale's
coat and hat She chartered all the
way acrosS the meadow
Now what did tell We, John and
sam? What did tell ye? La, la!
Wasn't it master fight, like said
now wasn't it?"
Sometimes We make me little
tired, granny-woman," Moreland re-
monstrated gently. THE amt nothin'
, in forchune-telln'. You've lest been
here fo' so long AT you know how to
jedge the future by the past. And
you're tol'able good guesser, too, I
reckon"
Granny Heck fared up quickly:
Amt nothin' in fOrchune-tellin'
Now don't go and fool yeself, John
Moreland. You listen to me about a
half minute, John. seed more in the
cup an l told Mr.. Bill. seed blood
and death. l seed big fight atwixt
the Morelands and the Lil,lcfords I"
That's easy to gueS, nt" John
Moreland replied. "You know, O.
course, at Black Adam will do all he
can to bring trouble to us on account
o. Bill Dale a-stayin' with us. And
you know 1t amt never impossible to
hatch up war atween us and the Lit
tlefords. Jest run on ahead Granny
Heck, and tell my wife to hunt up
some kind o. good liniment fo' Blrs
bruises. Tell her she needn't to waste
time a-lookin' up any bandages. This
man here Is like me: he wouldn't wear
bandages, cause they look bad"
When Dale came back to state of
consciousness, he was lying under
covers in the carved black walnut bed
Beside him stood John Moreland, who
| held In one hand bowl containing o
hot herb brew that his wife had pre-
pared Granny Heck, her son BY, and
Mrs. Moreland stood not far away.
This here'll be good TO- We, | think, /"
said M0reland, nodding toward the
bowl In his hand. He went over and
put an arm around Dale's shoulders
and helped him to sit In