The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-07-07


Those on the two banks watched It
all with suppressed excitement. Babe
Littleford stood In the edge of the
water. with her hands clasped below
her throat. her face was pale. John
MorelandIs who had witnessed many
other great fights, himself fighting
man, had never before beheId such a
contest Of strength and endurance as
this: BIZ Dale had won John More
lands heart for all time to come.
But the blows of the fighters were
growing weaker now. The sound of
their labored breathing rose distinctly
over the gentle roar of the sparkling
waters above.
Then the watchers saw Adam Ball
iunge at his man, saw Dale stumble
ont OF sheer weakness, saw Balls
mighty blood-streaked arms close
about the beautiful white body and
hug II 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 un-
der the surface!
Babe Littleford gave smothered
cry. John Moreland stepped toward
the water and shouted. hoarsely:
Don't We drowned him Adam! III
!r do. ye1l answer to mel"
Dale had gathered himself for n last
ove. He slipped downward suddenly,
imerSng himself completely, and
slot one arm around Balls thigh :;
ten. by a great effort, he rose with
Tie giant and overthrew him, and
staggered free!
RalFs hairy face came to the surface
f"st. Dale. fought back the pain of
I water In his lungs, and the pain
a OF sharp and jagged slivers OF steel
IL his hands, and struck madly, half
j.. ..ndly, at the hateful face. He kept
- down, but it wouldn't go under the
water completely.
Adam Ball began to drift as though
G.aieas Gown the stream. Bill Dale
Followed, still fighting weakly, choking
As he breathed. Bot sGon he ceased
70 strike. He saw, instead of the beast.
E"e face, flashes as of distant summer
lightning, and red blotches against
uick blackness. The hotches faded,
and all became dark to him; he
pitched forward, gasping, and began
To drift down the stream with 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
a 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
tentiy watching the limp form OF Dale.
rs he dead, John Moreland?" she
called tremulously.
mo, Babe" Moeland answered, his
voice not unkind; "he amt anyways
nigh dead"
He and Sam Heck took up Dale's
dripping figure and bore 1t away. Babe
Littleford ran to higher ground, hid
herself behind clump of sassafras
and watched them.
Granny Heck followed with Dnie's
coat and hat She chattered all the
way across the meadow
Now what did I tell We. John and
Sam? What did I tell ye? La, la I!
Wasn't 1t master fight, like l said
now wasn't it?"
Sometimes ye make me little
tired, granny-wOman," MOreland re-
monstrated gently. 1.-The amt nothin'
In forchune-tellin You've jest been
here TO- so long at you know how to
jedge the future by the past. And
you're tOlable good guesser, too,
reckon"
Granny Heck fiared up quickly ::
Amt nOthin' in fOrchune- -tellin' I!
Now don't 90 and fool yeself John
Moreland. You listen to me about a
half minute, John. seed more In the
cup an / told Mr.. Bill. seed blood
and death. l seed big fight atwixt
the Morelands and the Littlefords"
That's easy to guess at" John
Moreland replied. "You know, O.
course, at Black Adam will do all he
can to bring trouble to us on account
" Bill Dale a-stayin' with us. And
YOU know 1t amt never onpossibe to
hatch up war atween us and the Lit
tlefords. lest run on ahead, Granny
Heck. and tell my wife to hunt up
some kind q good liniment fo' Bflrs
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 q state OF
consciousness, he was lying under
covers In the carved black walnut bed.
Beside him stood John MOreland, who
held In one hand n bowl containing a
hot herb brew that his wife had pre-
pared. GRANNY Heck her son Ry and