American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-12-23

lightning. and red blotches against
thick ~blackness. The blotches faded
and all became dark to him; he
pitched forward, gasping, and began
TO drift down the stream with the
vanQuished Ball.
Babe Littleford was standing in the
water TO her knees, When Dale sue
cumbed TO utter exhaustion, she start
ed toward him. to save him from
drowning. She felt strangely drawn
toward the big. white, clean man who
had whipped the Goliath she had al
ways dreaded. But she had gone only
a few yards toward the center of the
river when John Moreland and sam
Heck reached the unconscious figures.
Heck dragged Ball to the Littleford
bank and left him lying there, face
downward, on the sand. Moreland half
carried, half dragged Bill Dale to the
other bank. Babe Littleford waded
out. She paid absolutely no attention
to the worsted bully. She stood In
tently watching the limp form of Dale.
rs he dead, John MorelandT" she
called TREMENDOUSLY.
mo, Babe" Moreland answered, his
voice not unkind; "he amt anyways
nigh dead"
He and Sam Heck took up Dale's
dripping figure and bore 1t away. Babe
Littleford ran to higher ground, hid
herself behind a clump of sassafras
and watched them.
Granny Heck followed with Dale's
coat and hat. She chartered all the
way across the meadow
Now what did l tell We, John and
Sam? What did l tell ye? La, Ia!
Wasn't it a master fight, like l said
now wasn't itT"
Sometimes ye make me n little
: tired, granny-woman," Moreland re-
monstrated gently. The amt nothin'
in forchune-tellin'. You've jest been
- here TO- so long at you know how to
n jedge the future by the past. And
you're a tol'able good guesser, too,
:. reckon"
Granny Heck flared up quickly
"Ain't nothin' In torchune-tellln'
Now don't go and fool yeself, JOIN
5 Moreland. You listen to me about
null Illnult Jblili. 4 Sttu III VI
A cup an l told Mr.. Bill. l seed bloo'
n and death. | seed a big fight atwlx
the Morelands and the Littlefords !"
II That's easy TO guess at" job
4 Moreland replied. you know,
q course, at Black Adam will do all h
can to bring trouble to us on accoun
o. Bill Dale a-stayin' with us. An
you know 1t amt never impossible I
hatch up war atween us and the Ii
/ tlefords. Jest run on ahead, Cram
q Heck, and tell my wife to hunt u
some kind o. good llniment fo' Bill
i bruises. Tell her she needn't to wasi
time a-lookin' up any bandages. TIL
man here Is like me he wouldn't wei
bandages, cause they look bad"
When Dale came back to a state
. consciousness, he was lying und'
. covers In the carved black walnut be
Z Beside him stood John Moreland. WI
held in one hand a bowl containing
hot herb brew that his wife had pr
pared. Granny Heck, her son BY, al
Mrs. Moreland stood not far away.
"This heren be good TO We, I thinl
said Moreland. nOdding toward {
, bowl In his hand. He went over a
put an arm around Dale's shouldC
and helped him to sit up.
Dale drank the stuff with Difficult
much obliged" he muttered thick
"I-let's see, did ! whip-how did
end? He didn't lick me, did he-tl
ter. fellow Ball?"
He shore didn't" smiled Morelal
mot by a big sight. He fell out III
pat His own pap won't hardly know IA
Bilt"
leir .
the Nows trov ale ronidlv I'm tho hIg nj
lsly The Morelands began to gather at
as home Of their chief to see the n
OF who had whipped Black Adam 81
n.y. every Moreland able to walk came
art see Bill Dale. For three hours he
llonized, but he didn't enjoy It;
q u water had left many pains In
'ape chest, and his head ached DULY,
the his hands still felt as though the BIO
'ioW we're shattered in them.
Came a thundershower that af
lhhS noon, and the mountain evening
t'hg with a chill. A fire was made In
II d wide stone fireplace in the que
Z ds room, and when supper was over
'ore family gathered there with Dale,
refused to be kept In bed.
we're After n few minutes Of sile
Oh watching grotesque shadows fit ac
'cuS the log walls, Dale said TO John NJ
>''"s land:
III your brother David could kr
Bah don't you think he'd want you TO
Ilble the value out Of the cOalT'
'aIls John Moreland bent forward 10
close his chin in his hands. His sober
ana eyes stared thoughtfully toward
lalfy fire.
lehd- 81 amt never looked at It
own away" he said.
ihah That's the right way 10 look al
BAH dacIa rod Dale "Rut Won sbou
1 Usi- .uIt fba y,r,stnrfr 40 IL "a -