Cleveland County herald., 1921-09-15
CHAPTER xIi-continued.
1

John Moreland turned up the light little and cracked a worn but time " Joke; then he looked toward one or the men whom he had fought throughout many years, and muttered into his thick brown beard:
 Saul, friend, will ye do us the ia For O axin' the blessin', eff ye please?'
 Shore, John, O course"
 Saul Lfttleford, the very illiterate, laced his big fingers together across his plate, bent his head, and told the good Almighty that they were all very much obliged to Him for the fine supper they had before them, for Ad- die Moreland who had cooked it, for peace, and for Bill Dale.
 It was almost midnight when the visitors left. They had been sitting outside, on the honeysuckle-scented front porch and in the cabin yard. At last Bill Dale and John Moreland were left together on the porch.
 "There's a thing that has puzzled mo since the moment I got here this evening" said Dale. "Why is it that noHody seems to be grieving over Ca1eb's being in jail?"
 Ifhe big hillman's answer came al molt sharply: "No Moreland ever gri4ved over a sacrifyce, Bill"
 Spale sat up straight. "A sacrifice! What do you meanY
 Ehis time the big hillman's answer c2<fne slowly. q mean at Gale he's \-takin' all O the load off O yore shoulders at he can. Gale he's a-takin' yore place in jail ontel the trial comes off, wbichH be at the October term O cote He trusts you to come back and set him free on the day O the trial. O course you'll do it; we hain't never doubted that fo' one little min ute Bill But it wasn't all done fo' yore sake You're the hope O the Morelands, and you can do a heap more here 'an Caleb can"
 He leaned toward Bill Dale and went on in confidential tone:
 "And I can tell ye this here. eff you're found guilty O killin' Adam Ball, and sentenced fo' even one year, the Morelands and the Littlefords is a-goin' to take ye from the officers and turn ye loose with a good, long start on the law"
 "Wouldn't that be rather"
 Dale broke off because he had seen the tall figure of a man appear in the open gateway. It was By Heck, and he spoke.
 Hello, John Moreland!" !"
 Hello yeselfw growled Moreland, who was not at all pleased at the in terruption.
 Heck advanced, carrying his rifle by its muzzle He halted with one foot on the stone step.
 "Pve got news fo' ye, Bill" he said, recognizing Dale even in the dark ness. i've been a-eavesdrappin' up at old Balls house, and had to choke about ten dawgs to do it. Bill old boy. them Balls has done swore by everything on earth and in Heaven and in Torment at they'll kill you ef the law don't. Igod, ye'd better watch out, Bill
 John Moreland rose from his chair.
 Much obleeged to ye, By. And good-
  Bill. I didn't think them d-d pole cats had that much narve-and 1 don't hardly believe it yit. It might ha' been white ticker a-talkin. Their kind O white flicker ain't hawnest like By HecE's is, though his'n is bad enough. Their kindll make a man resurrect his dead inemies out O the graveyard and shoot lem up all over again. It ain't a-goin' to do a great deal O harm, Bill. eff ye don't light no lamp when ye go to bed A man cain't never tell jest what's a-goin to happen"
 And the BallTorrey outfit" Dale began, when the Moreland chief cut in;
 "Ef the Ball-Torrey outfit posters you, they're every one purity durned apt to die with what is knowed genai- ly in this section as the ritle-bullet dis ease"