The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-12-09

the hills, of the feud between her peo-
pie and the Morelands and of how she
had hated the bloOdShed. She told of
the coming of Major Bradley, of her
burning thirst for education, OF the old
trainman who had thrown her a news
paper each day, and Of the coming OF
Bill Dale.
Il was lonesome" she continued
"and nobody ever seemed to under
stand how I felt. That is, until Bill
Dale came. After | me- him, l couldn't
see anything but him he seemed to me
like somethin' I'd had and lost. :"
Then" said Mrs. Dale, "why did
you refuse to marry"
"Wait-you don't know it all" Eliz-
abeth interrupted her. There was the
KILN o that heather, Adam Ball. /
went to tend the trial because l knew
l could clear your son if Major Brad
ley couldn't. You see, Mrs. Dale, l
happened to know who did kill Adam
Ball, and i meant to tell if 1t was nee
essary.
ION the mornin' Of the KILN Bill
had started up the river by himself. 1t
was dangerous for him to go off like
that, Oh account O. them Balls and Tor
reys. Back in the Big Pine country
there Is a tall, thin man named Sam
Heck. He's a big eater, an awful liar,
and a worshiper of Bill Dale. Sam
heard my father say 1t was dangerous,
and he whispered: I'll jest sneak
through the laurels and gyard Bill
from ahind him. l heard him say it,
Mrs. Dale.
80 he went sneakin' along the foot
o. the north end O. David Moreland's
mountain, with his rifle in his hand, to
guard your son. Bill didn't know he
was bein' followed, because Heck is as
crafty as a cat. l got nervous about
Bill, so | went into the laurels and fol-
lowed Sam Heck. When | overlook
him, he was standin' behind a clump
O. sheep laurel and lookin' toward the
river.
II whispered, Where's Bill?'
HE said, BE still, Babep And then
he thumbed his rifles hammer back
without a sound.
Il looked toward the river and saw
Bill Dale a-walkin' up the nearest
bank, and l saw Black Adam slip be-
hind a tree not far away. Bill saw
Adam, and he slipped behind a tree,
too. Adam shot at Bills hat, and
teased Bill. Bill shot at Adams hat
and then Adam Ball jumped up groan
in like he was done for, and fell, all a
twistin', to the ground. But he wasn't
hit. He put his gun out by the tree to
kill Bill as soon as he showed himself.
1t was one O. his old tricks"
Elizabeth Littleford raised her head
slowly and went on in a voice that was
much shaken:
II had always talked against KILN,
and yet l stood there and begged Sam
Heck to finish him. The rest happened
in no time. Ball was already a-lookin'
along his sights. Bill Dale was nearly
out In the open. L" she faltered, and
then came a rush Of words II wouldn't
marry him without tellin' him, because
1t wouldn't be fair to him; and if /
told him, he-he wouldn't have me.
The mi he marries mustn't be a.
q s-savage."
She stopped and stared at Mrs. Dale
almost %defantly. Her head was high,
and her hands were clasped in her lap
so hard that they trembled.
II think you have made a mountain
out of a molehill, my dear" the older
woman said gently. What you did
was right, not wrong any good woman
would have done just what you did,
Elizabeth, | am sure"
Elizabeth Littleford faced Mrs. John
K. Dale squarely. There was q strange
glow in her eyes.
"But / haven't told you everything"
she murmured-"I took Sam Heck's
rife from him, and killed Adam Ball
myself"
(To BE CoNTINUED.)