The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-09-23

iaureiS. watching nlm ann watching
Bill Dale. crouched BY Heck.
Dale's guardian had not gone fOi
help, because he feared To leave Dale
utterly unprotected In the hands OF
the gang Of %cutthrOats. He believed
that he could rescue Dale himself
When the first watch became a little
more drowsy. he would steal M be
hind the tree and cut The cotton rope
Then he realized that CoN had dis.
appeared entirely. He Crcr' for"a-t
silently. his eyes alert. amt 4 nnrnpr.
later lie ~ Son stealing toward tn,
walnut tree. Tie climbed noiselessly
down over the face of the cliff and
followed GOr like q shadow. When
Cons hands touched the tree, Ny Heck
was within ten feet OF it. Heck made
sure his rifle was res dy md took an
other step forward. watching, listen
ing.
The ShySter coal man leaned around
the tree 10 the left. In the glow OF
the ~low-burncd fire the blade Of a
small knife In his hand cleaned dull
red. He whispered cautiously:
You're in a fix. Dale. Aud it's
none Of my doing. either. Give me
your word that I'll get that coal prop
erty for fifteen thousand. and III slash
the rope. How about II? Sick Of
this country. aren't yOu?
There came a few seconds Of silence
save for the luSty snoring Of the sleep
erS and the musical tinkle OF the little
creek. after which Goff muttered dis
appOintedIy:
well. then, hangi"
And Heck knew that Dale had re-
fused to sell the MOreland coal for a
song even to save his life. AS Coz
stepped backward. the muZzle OF the
tall hillman'S rife went against the
small OF his back, and the tall hillman
whispered hOarsely, through teeth
tightly clenched:
Slash at rope. d-n yOre souli
Slash at rope, or l wisht I may drap
dead ef | dOn't shoot yOre backbone
into four thousand pieces. igod! Slash
it,"
Coz Strengthened in surprise. Tho
rifles muzzIe e harder against his
back and he knew 1t for exactly what
II was. He moved a hand upward,
then downward and the cotton rope |
was severed in half a dozen places.
"Stiddy thar, now" whispered Ry
Heck, and he began to back away. |
Come along wi me, We dadslatted.
banjer-bellied skunk. Bill he'll f%oller." |
The three OF them hurried into the
deeper shadows. Soon Heck halted :
Cor and turned to Dale.
"S'arch him 70 a gun, Bill. Oh boy"
Dale lifted from Henderson COTS
right-hand COat-pocket a blued and
stub nosed magazine pistol.
Dang my eyes and blast ms for
rsrd!' Heck exclaimed in a mufled
voice. He's plumb death on them
little p"pguns, amt he? Say, Con.
Of ever W shoots me with a thing like
that and l find il out. dauged ef | don't
spank ye Ontel yOre nose bloOds: Now,
les 90, you'umS. And ef ye Jest cheep
out a noise, Mister Cor, the buzzards
will pick the meat often yore bones d,
afOre tOmorTpr night"
Move. shysterT frowned Bill
BY Heck led the way to the line Of
cliffs to the westward. They had
climbed the rugged wall and were
about To set out through the pitchy
dark woodland, when a voice that
knew we'll hailed them softly
from the 1aurels to their left:
Hold on, thar"
John Moreland. by Jiggers" NUT
Heck.
Moreland fastened s~OundieSsly to
hem. 81 reckon We didn't mean no
larnl. BY" he said in tones that ex-
a deep regret, but yit l shore
sisht We hadn't ha' done It,"
Samuel Heck vas very proud Of
He Strengthened there IN the
darkness.
"Whst'n the name o the devil makes
e wisht sech a thing as that, JOhnY' I
le demanded la a half angry voice.
cause" grOwled the big hilIman, I
you went and spilled HI out O. the
main big picnic. We meant to wipe $
ut all o them thar lowdOwn Balls
TOrreys. By. When they went to
ang Bill Dale in the mOrnin', we'd ha'
ad a good reason TO- a-killin' EN- every T
ne-the weaseis! Ye see, BY, every
Moreiand but Caleb, and every
o the LittIefords, Is hid here ia c
nese %laurels. and has been ever sense
hat thar fool trial begun. We was
Est a-waitin'. How did we happen +
} now 1t?
ATS easy, By. Me and Rem Lit y
was on our way after more v
ynamite, when we seed Bill Dale I
.fOlIerin' that stranger man, and Gof "
folIerin' Bill, and you a-follerin' Cot. a
Te knOwed somethin' ongodly mean
as in the wind. So l follered you, t
Y, a-breakln' of bushes as | went Il