Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-10-07
CHATTER xlI-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 fa-
vor O AKIN the blessin', eff ye pleaseg"
"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 BIZ Dale and John Moreland
were left together on the porch.
There's thing that has puzzled
me slice the moment / got here this
evening"" said Dale. "Why is it that
nobody seems to be grieving over
Caleb's being in jail?"
The big hillman'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. II 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, which'll 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 To-
yore sake. You're the hope O. the
Morelands, and you can do q heap
more here an Caleb can"
He leaned toward Bill Dale and
went on in confidential tone:
And l 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
n.goin to take We from the officers and
turn We loose with a good, long start
3n 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 yeself!" 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' We, BILL" he said,
recognizing Dale even in the dark.
ness. 'Tve been a-eavesdrappin' up
at old Balls house, and l had 70 choke
about ten dawgs to do it. 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 it yit. 1t might ha' beer
white ucler a-talkin. Their kind O
white Kicker amt hawnest, like By
Heck's is, though his'n is bad enough
Their kind'll make man resurrect
his det,d inemies out O. the graveyard
and shoot 'em up all over again. It
amt a.goin' to do a great deal o. harm
Bill, eff We don't light no lamp when
We go to bed A man CANT never tell
Jest what's a-goin' to happen"
"And the Ball-Torrey outfit" Dale
began, when the Moreland chief cut in
EFF the Ball-Torrey outfit posters
you, they're every one purity burned
apt to die with what is knowed genial
IL in this section as the rifle-bullet dis
ease"