Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-08-11

utcs he'll be hid In h clum o. sassafras
back thar In yOre meadow, whar he
means 10 set and pick on you More
lands one by One-and you and Bill
Dale fust, count o. the beatin's you
two put on him! But pap had nOthin'
10 do with 1t, and rickOllect thatl Now
I'VE saved all o. yOre lives, cause ye
/ couldn't ha' heerd the sound o. his rifle
in all o. this noise; and ye couldn't
ma seed the smoke o. his gun, cause
II don't make no smoke. Hold up the
white flag, John MoreIand-hurryI"
Babe thoughtlessly arose to her feet,
and one side of her brown head APP
peared before the sights of her fathers
ritie-her father fired quickly, too
quickly for a perfect aim-the bullet
burned its way across her temple and
through her hair, and she crumpled at
| Bill Dale's knees, totally unconscious.
Dale gave hoarse cry and gathered
her limp figure into his arms. John
Moreland waved alOft the white hand
kerchief and beloved to his kinsmen
to stop firing. Then silence came.
Come over here, Ben LittlefOrd -
shouted John MOreland. we've shot
yore own gyrul!"
And to his brother Abner, whose
right forearm was wrapped in blood
stained blue bandana:
BLACK Adam is hid som'eres in this
meadow; go and ketch him, and don't
take no chanst with him. Shoot him
| like a dawg eff he tries to trick We :!
! A dozen men ran to look for the
wouId-be sniper. The LittlefOrds, still
armed, came dashing across the river
Ben Littleford threw down his rife
and knelt beside his daughter; nc
wrung his big hands and cursed the
day that had seen him born.
Dale held her close. His face was
as white as hers, and his eyes were
! flaming.
"Why don't you shoot all your wom-
enfolk?" he said to the Littletorn
chief, and every word cut like knife.
ITS by far the simplest way; it's mer-
Ciful. yknow. See, she isn't breaking
her heart over your murderous tight
ing now. No, keep your hands away
you're not fit to touch her"
They brought water and wet me
young wOman's face, and bathed the
red streak across her temples. Ihey
did all they knew how to do to Drlhs
her back to consciousness, but, except
for her beating pulse and her Dreath-
ing, she remained as one dead. hours
passed, leaden hours, and her conul'
ton was unchanged.
Dale beckOned to John MoreIanu'
who had just returned from having
seen Adam Ball caught, disarmed, ana
imprisoned in an old tobacco barn
MOreland FASTENED to Dale, the new
master.
when does the next sOuth-bOund
train pass the Halfway switch!' Dale
wanted to know.
Moreland looked toward the sun.
1--WE could make it, all right, but It's
a fast train and it don't never stop al
the switch"
Then we'll hold it up" declared the
new master in a voice Of iron. "lhls
is case for a surgeon. Get blanket
and two poles and make litter
John Moreland FASTENED away ODE
diently. Dale turned to Ben Little
ford, who sat in mOtionless heap be-
side the still figure of his daughter.
1T was only a few hours ago." he
said accusingy, that this poor girl
told me she'd be glad to give her life
to stop your fighting, and now, per-
haps, she's done it! You're brute
Lfttleford. | like to fight, myself, but
not when it costs women anything"
The conscience hlllman
gave no sign that he had heard. There
was silence save for the low murmur
of the river and the tragic song of n
bird somewhere in the branches OF
the big white sycamore.