Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-09-22
CHAPTER xII-cOntinued.

John Moreland turned up the Light
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 blessln', eff ye pleaseT
"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, fUr Al
die Moreland who had cooked 1t, Tor
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. AL
last Bill Dale and John Moreland
were left together on the porch.
There's a thing that has puzzled
me since the moment l got here TINS
evening"" said Dale. "Why is II tnat
nobody seems to be grieving over
Caleb's being In jail?"
The big hlllman's answer came al
most sharply: mo Moreland ever
grieved over a sacrifyce, Bill"
Dale sat up straight. "A sacrifice !!
What do you mean?"
This time the big hillman's answer
came slowly. 81 mean at Gale he's
a-takin all o. the load off o yore
shoulders at he can. Gale he's a-takin
wore place In Jail ontel the trial comes
off, which1I be at the October term
O. cote. He trusts you to come PACK
and set him free on the day 0 the
trial. O. course you'll do it; we halnt
never doubted that TO one little min
ute. Bill. But it wasn't all done 10
yore sake. You're the hope O the
Morelands, and you can do heap
more here AN Caleb cam"
He leaned toward Bill Dale and
went on in confidential tone:
"And / can tell We this here. ef
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 ana
turn We loose with good, long start
on the law"
"Wouldn't that be rather
Dale 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.
'Tve got news TO We, Bill" he said,
recognizing Dale even In the. dark
ness. give been a-eavesdrappin' up
at old Balls house, and had TO choke
about ten dawgs to do 1t. Bill, old
boy, them Balls has done swore by
everything on earth and In Heaven
and in Torment at they'll kill you eff
the 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 We. Les go into the house,
Bill. / didn't think them id pole
cats had that much narve-and don't
hardly believe 1t yit. 1t might ha' been
white ticker a-talkin. Their kind o.
white ticker amt hawnest. like BY
Heck's is, though his'n is bad enough.
Their klndll make man resurrect
his dead inemies out o. the graveyard
and shoot em up all over again. 1t
amt a-goin' to do great deal O. harm,
Bill, eff We don't light no lamp when
We go to bed. A man CANT never tell
lest what's a-goin' to happen"
"And the Ball-Torrey outfit" Dale
began. when the Moreland chief cut in:
"Ef the Ball-Torrey outfit posters
YOU, they're every one purity burned
ant to die with what is knowed genial
~ In this section as the rife-bullet dis
ease"