Licking Valley courier., 1921-10-13
THE CLAN CALL.
CONTINUED from page two.)

AAOAA P06C SWOsI
Bill Dale cut in with some bitter
ness: "And you'n be the Judge, ana
your plans have already been laid, and
I'm to be hanged by the neck until
dead; Ell? Well. you'il pay dearly for
1t. promise you. We always have
to pay for what we get, you know.
The Morelands and the Littlefords will
be quick to settle the account. You
know that"
mo" old Ball disagreed hotly, II
don't know thatl"
He turned to the others.
"Set down, boys. It's the same price
a. standin'. The jury will please set
over thar" pointing to his right. "Tho
pris'ner and his guards will please set
right over thar" pointing to his left.
"The hon'rable jedge. which same 10
me, will please set right thar" indi-
eating q spot at the base Of the gnarled
walnut. "The rest" he finished, will
ret anywhar they d-n pleases. Set
down, men,"
His orders were obeyed. Dale found
himself sitting on the ground between
two pairs of mountaineers and facing
q line Of twelve mOuntaineers-th so
called jury. To his left was the self
appointed Judge, and to his right
lounged score or more Of men whose
attention was then being turned to-
ward jug Of fiery new whisky that
had never been near to revenue
stamp or anything else that was hon.
est. The jug travelled rapidly from
one hairy mouth to another.
Old Ball passed the jug to men,
Der Of the "jury," and announced:
swell. dammit, co'te's open now"
"Kitty. kitty, kittyW taunted Walt
Turner "Pore little kittyl"
The mockery began. II was ridicu-
lous. ana yet II was grim. Adam
Balls father himself furnished most
Of the evidence; also he acted as
prosecuting attorney. OF course there
was no counsel for the defense, and
II wouldn't have helped II Dale had
had q proverbial Philadelphia lawyer
on the grounds; all the proof and elo-
Quence and pleading In the world never
would have changed, In the slightest de,
gree, the sentence that had been cut and
dried for Bill Dale. The mock trial
was being held solely because the
Balls and Torreys felt that by hold
Ing 1t they were insulting the majesty
Of the law and making their ven
geance sweeter II became worse than
q travesty. :.
Night fell during the wordy and
profane harangue Of the Ball leader
and II was ordered that fire be built
ut once. At once fire was built, dry
bfushwood being used, and In its red
and fickering glare the faces Of the
hillmen looked doubly dark and doubly
wicked. Then the judge begged 6
chew of tobacco and deliberately kept
the whole twist, and told the jury tC
20 out and bring back a verdict with
out losing time.
The twelve mountaineers rose un
steadily and went to the creek, ant
there one Of them uncovered another
jug Of fiery new whisky that was alier
to q revenue stamp. They dranl
heavily and returned to the walnu
tree court without mentioning tn,
trial.
The foreman was q Torrey, and I
particularly bad one. His swarth.
face, with Its high Cherokee cheek
bones and Its thin-lipped mouth, wa
ultra-cruel, ultra-vicious. He entere,
the circle of red and filckering firellgh
slowly. smiling evllly, aud the othe
eleven crowded up close behind him
He cleared his throat. spat betwee,
tive fingers at the fire. and turned /
the Judge.
| "0entlemen O. the jury" growie
the ruling Ball, "havs 70 reached
verdictr' :.
I'VE have, yore honor" very prompt
IL answered the Torrey who was fore
man. "And we ha' found the pris'ne
guilty o. the wust kind o. coldbloodet
premedltated mudder In the fust d.
gree. yore honor"
Old Ball leveled q knotty forefnge
toward Bill Dale.
"Fo' the killin' O. my son Adam: