Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1921-07-15


repeater is gone, and SO is Gales, and
we hain't got nothin' at all to fight
them id Littlefords With"
"Gone !" Dale exclaimed wondering
ly and-it seemed to him-asininely.
"It must ha' been the Littlefords,
guess" frowned Moreland. "Fo' be-
cause who else would ha' done it? But
to save the life O. me CANT see how
they got in and took my rifle without
wakin' me up, Bill Dale. l slept twicet
as light as sick mouse"
Within ten more minutes, every man
of the MoreIands was gathered there
at the house of their chief-and every
man of them had lost their weapons
during the night!
John MOreland called Dale aside
and said to him:
you're high on the good side O.
them thar trifin' Hecks, and, so fer
as they know, you amt interested In
the feud. l wisht you'd go down thar
and see BY and his mother, and see
eff We can find out whar our rifles
went"
When Dale had gone off down the
dusty oxwagon road, Caleb Moreland
climbed a tall ash that grew behiRd
his fathers cabin and kept watch
toward the Littleford side of the river.
He saw a group of men standing in
Ben Littleford's cabin yard, and moth
ing else.
A little more than a quarter of an
hour after Dale left John Moreland
he entered by the gateless gateway at
the cabin of the Hecks. 1t was a di-
lapidated place, and it stood not far
from the river. BY sat in the front
doorway; he was laZily cutting a new
midday sun mark in the place of the
worn old one. Behind him sat his
mother, who was busily knitting a
gray yarn stocking.
The moonshiner looked up and start
ed quickly to his feet.
Hi, thar, Bill, old boy!" he greeted
cordially. my gosh, but ye've come
at the right time, shore. We're a-goin'
to have young squirrels TO dinner, and
billed hamshank with string beans,
and caWnbread made with the yellec
o. hen ags. Live whilst ye do live,
says l. Come right in, Bill old boy"
la, la, ia!' cried Granny Heck.
looking over the brass rims of her
spectacles. How glad am to see ye,
Mr.. Bill! Come right in and tell us
the news"
Bill Dale crossed the threshold and
accepted a creaking chair. His eyes
took in at a sweeping glance the home
made dining table with it's cover Of red
oflcloth the broken cast-iron stove, the
strings Of dried peppers hanging on
the log walls, the broken stillworm
Tying in the corner.
"The Littlefords," said Dala have
declared war"
"Sakes" !" laughed the old woman.
"We knoWed that last night when we
heered them ten shots"
And all the Moreland rifles are
missing" Dale watched the effect of
his words.
"WhatW the Hecks cried in one
voice.
Their surprise seemed genuine.
Dale pressed the subject further and
learned only that If they knew any
thing concerning the disappearance
of the rifles they were not going to
tell. Then he started homeWard by way
of the pool above the blOWndoWn syc-
amore.
There was a chance that Ben Little
fords daughter would be there fishing,
Dale told hind &If, and it was barely
possible that she could throw some
light on theSmystery of the rifles.
He crossed the river by means of
the PROSTATE tree. Babe was there
she sat on the stone on which she had
been sitting the morning before her
back was to him, and her bare feet
were in the water to her ankles. Dale
went up close, stopped and gathered
a handful of viOlets and dropped them
over her shoulder and into her lap.
Babe looked around and smiled.
what luck, Miss Littleford"
"Nothin'. / don't much want to
ASlCn duJ IlllHS, SuG Sdlu SlONly, u
spirit of sadness in her musical voice.
Il jest come off down here to be
Whar it's quiet You ought to hear the
noise at pap and the rest of 'em is
a-makinl"
Dale narrowed his eyes. Are they
er, making a noise? And what about?"
my goodness gracious alive! You'd
think so eff ye could hear 'em Y'ought
to hear pap cuss John Moreland p
She shrugged her pretty shoulders,
lifted the small end of her rod to it's
proper place, and went on, Il never
did see pap half as mad as he was
when he got home last night from
a-fOllerin' me-"
Mad at your" asked Dale. !
NnMH 1Maq&Mll