The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-08-25

plies building. Then they made dash
across the open space. and Ben Lit
tieford. with one arm bound up In q
red-stained blue bandana, opened the
door for them.
"Who else In hurtr' painted Dale.
Little Tom." answered Littleford.
~and Saul. Little Tom, he got q bull
let onder the shoulder. Saul, he got
one In might nigh the same place.
They've iddled the whole t'other
side o. the house to splinters. They're
a-callin' TO you"
They'll get all they want Of me-"
Dale growled.
He turned and ran up the rugh
stairway, ana Ben LittIctord and the
Morelands followed close upon his
heels. At the front and side windows,
behind anything they had been able
to find that would stop q bullet, knelt
Littlefords with rifles In their hands.
patiently watching for q human target 9
TO appear on the mountainside above.
Saul and Little Tom lay in a corner,
where they were fairly safe from
chance bullets. Hayes had bound up
their wounds as well as he could with
the material at hand. They were
both white and helpless and suffering.
but still full Of tho old Littleford
fighting spirit.
Dale seized his Winchester and
belt Of cartridges from the hands of
the man who had brought them to
him, and turned to the others. A bull
let crashed through the wall and
! struck the floor at his foot; he paid
no attention to 1t.
Listen to me, boys" Dale was
buckling his cartridge-belt with rapid.
steady fingers. From where they are
hiding, the Balls and Turner's can
hardly see the lower story Of this
building. Wen go downstairs, open
the front door, and run to the edge
Of the laurels at the foot Of the noun
tain. Then we'll turn to the right,
make wide detour, and get above
the Ball outfit; we'll be fighting down.
hill instead Of uphill. Get met Are
you all readyr
To a man, they were ready.
They reached the thick under
growth without being seen by the en-
emy. While the Balls and Turner's
fired more or less aimlessly at the
building, drank white whisky and
called drunkenly for the surrender to
them Of Bill Dale. Bill Dale and his
men were making their way steadily
In a wide half-circle up the side of
David Morelands mountain.
Half an hour after they had left the
ONCE building. Dale had stationed his
men, deployed as a line Of skirmishers,
| behind sheltering trees some two hun
dred feet above the Balls and their
kinsmen.
John Moreland, Ben LIttleford and
Bill Dale were not far apart. Its a
shame to do it." said Dale. II swear,
we can't shoot men In the back like
thisl"
John Moreland, twisted his mouth
Into q queer smile of contempt, and
so did Ben Littleford. They knew,
far better than their leader, the ways
OF that people without principle. The
Balls and Turner's wouldn't hesitate
to shoot them in the backi
"Wel," John Moreland replied, and
1t was almost q sneer, I'VE might go
down thar and give 'em some candy,
and kiss 'em, and Ak 'em won't they
please surrender!"
Dale leaned around his tree, q great
gnarled chestnut, and called boldly:
you've got q chance to surrender
now-and you'd certainly better take
1t quick"
One of those below yelled surprised
iy: Whore your" Then they all
whipped to the other side Of their
shelteriHg timber.
The answer came at once I'm Bill
Dale, and I'm peevedi You're at the
! mercy OF the finest hiii clan that ever
looked along rifle barrels; will you
surrender. or fight 1t out?"
"You said it-we'n fight It out !"
cried a burly cousin Of Black Adam
Ball, deceased.
"You're ont" growled BIZ Dale,
slipping his rife out beside the tree.
"Give 'em HI, boys!"
He was unused to this sort Of thing,
and he was incautious. He showed
Continued on Last Pagc)
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