The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-09-16
CHAPTER II
In the Cup.

~ ~ SePs
Dale found the humble home Of his
m%ountaineer host a home in the fullest
sense of the word.
AT the MONDAY meal, he met Mrs.
MOreland and the sons Of the house
hold, and they were exactly as he had
pictured them. Mrs. MOreland was
quiet, motherly, always smiling, as
straight and real as her husband. The
sons, Caleb and Luke, we're as much
alike as the fingers on your hands ;
they were tall and brOad-ShOuldered,
grey-eyed and broWn-haired.
Before shutdown Dale had become
acquainted with the rest OF the More
lands, and he liked them, every one.
He was at the cabin of his hosts gray
old father and mother for q long time.
When supper was over John More
land lighted the big glass lamp in the
best room, and the family and their
guest gathered there to spend the eve
ming. Then the lanky moonshiner and
his mother came In.
Granny Heck had the sharp features
and the stopped, thin figure Of a witch.
She wore a faded blue bandana about
her white head, and she carried q long
hickory staff; there was a reed
stemmed clay pipe in her mouth, and
her dark calico skirt had a tobacco
pocket In IL.
Her son preceded her into the room.
he walked to the center table, faced
about. and said with a low and airy
sweep of his right hand:
bill. old boy, this here's nav. Nav,
she tells forchunes."
$50 this here" creaked Granny
Heck, looking over the brass rims of
her spectacles, as Mr.. Bill! Well.
Welt / jest thought to myself at I'd
come up and see We. Mr.. Bill, and tell
yore forchune."
She dropped into the rocker that
Caleb had placed for her.
"Addie," she said to the smiling Mrs.
horeland, "will We bring me a cup half
full o. coffee %groundsT
When, the cup came, the fortune
teller took Ii and shook 1t and patted
II, all the while muttering mysterious
words that she had learned from the
DC Indian, Cherokee Joe which
served her purpose very well.
Il see," she mumbled more or less
sepulchrally, "a pow'ful good-lookin'
syurl In a caliker dress, with her hair
a'hangin' away down her back. A bare
f0nfan OUurl with hir ~,tx, 1.,1.
She's a-standin' on a low cliff, a-peep-
In at you through the ~laurels, MI.
Bill. This Is in the past.
In the future" she went on slowly.
Il see this here as plain as daylight
through a knothole; a awful big man,
with curly black hair and curly black
beard, and with eyes like a cliff
hawks; and l see you, too, Mr.. Bill
and i see a fight, a master fight-Lord
Ia mussy. what a fight! But you'll
marry the gyurl after all, Mr.. Bill"
Dale laughed. The old woman had
described Babe Littleford. But who
was the big. dark man.? Some fell
low who had lost his heart TO the
mountain girl, perhaps.
When the Hecks had gone, John
Moreland leSne6 forward and touched
his guest on the knee.
'"That thar big man mentioned in
tellin' yore %forchune," he said, might
ha' been Black Adam Ball. Black Adam,
he lives with his pap and mother a
few mile up the river. AS big as
q skinned boss, he is, and plumb on
cody strong. He's been a-beggin' Babe
Littleford TO marry him TO a year or
two, and she won't listen to HIM.
Ell EVER We do haf to fight Black
Adam" John Moreland went on. we
want to fight him with a two-eyed
shotgun and buckshot. He's the mean
est man On earth; snake-broth and
pizen vine is religious aside o. him.
But ontel We begin a-makin' love to
Babe Littleford, l reckon the amt no
danger o. you a-havin' trouble with
Black Adam; and you amt likely,
take II, to make love to Babe"
But Babes the best one o. the Lit.
rtisfords," declared Luke.
John Moreland reached for the
1eatherbound old family Bible. he
'spened the Book at random.
Its about time we was a-goIn' t.
q rest, ard Wen go jest as o as
we've had prayers. MI. Dale"
When half a chapter from st. Mat
shew had been laboriously but rever
sntiy read. the Morelands knelt n
aaAaay ~-''''rs 'nd ~ did Bill Dale. Johl