The Belding banner-news., 1921-10-12
@~e~ ~GD Copyright By Ooobisdey Poos CO

Tive been a-wonderin. mur-
INJURED Babe. (Which Is proper, Bill,
bust or burst?"
Dale spoke quickly. Burst for you,
Lust for me. VIII you 90 back to
Patiicia?"
Beaten. Babe Littleford drew long
breath and smiled.
YES. Mister Dale" she answered
reslsnedly. Il will. I'll go whar--
where YOU want me to go, eff it's
10 Torment. Now tell me how ii comes
that | find my people and their ine-
mics as thick as m'lasSes in jug,
while we walk on"
When Dale returned 10 John More
lands cabin from having seen Babe
Littleford safely 10 her fathers door,
he found Major Bradley and BY Heck
waiting at The gate. Heck had some
important. bad news, he said.
Better not tell me about Ii until
after supper" replied Dale. I'm as
hungry as you ever We're. By"
They went i'm To sit down 10 one OF
the best meals Addie Moreland had
ever prepared When they had fin
iSEed eating, John Moreland led the
way into the best room, where they
took chairs. The major produced
c.enrs. l,y Heck, swollen with Il feel
Ing of greatness, lighted the wrong
end Of his weed, faced Dale. and be-
gan "a unburlen his mind Of its weight
o. Information.
well. Bill old boy he began--and
then stopped TO wonder why his cigar
wouldn't smoke as we'll as tire majors.
"NNell. Bill. old boy" he went on. final
ly. Henderson Gof. he's shore been
~ busy aS Il one-armed man i'm bum.
blebee,s nest. CANT see, igod. what's
wrong with this here seegyar. He's
went and brung about twenty-five Tor.
reNs from two places knowed as Jer
uS'lem cove and Hatton's hell, 10 help
work his mine when he gifts IL. They're
ull a-puttin up with them Balls. The
Torreys is part Injun. Cherokee In
jun, and I've heered il said AT they
was as bad or wuss'n rattlesnakt
broth."
Major Bradley blew a little cloud OF
smoke upward. More Of the game o.
blnfI. perhaps" lie suggested.
I'm inclined 10 think so." thought
fully said Dale. well. We'll ayoit
trouble as long as we decently can
and when we can no longer get ar0unt
II, We'll call I'm as much Of the Law
MS we can get, and meet IL halfway
Eh. Hayes"
Sure" nodded the mining expert.
Dale was on his way TO the new
siding the following morning. when h
met Henderson Con. Again Dale wa
forcibly reminded Of stories he ha,
heard and read Of Mississippi rive
steamboat gamblers OF the long ago
Con stepped out OF the trail, smiles
and spoke with apparent good humoI
I'ale passed him without a word.
Then the shyster coal man calle
out, Ready tO sell YETI
The Moreland Coal company's man
ager halted and faced about with
puckerlng OF his brows.
For q fair price, yes"
"Just what would you call a fai
price,
"Oh, somewhere between two mn
three hundred thousand" promptly.
,;ofr shifted and the corners Of h
mouth came down.
You don't want much. You won
get II from me :"
81 don't want II from you"
Dale turned and went on. He ws
! sorry that he had stopped to talk wit
The fellow.
That afternoon he again met Go
In the trail. The bare sight OF II
: shyster made him very angry now, M
his right hand fell upon the butt I
, the big revolver on his hip. Goff "a
: about to sidestep in the laurels, whe
. Dale caught him roughly by the arr
"See here" he said sharply, ''you''
4 about cut your little swath. We''
had enough ~ you. You can't get tn
coal at any price. and the sooner yc
get yourself out OF this country Il
= better and safer IL Will be for yo
: To be plain, I'm pretty apt to thra'
: you the very next time see you. No
5 move onl"
: Goff went of laughing wickedl
, -Oh, all right, Dale; go ahead al
: build the little road for me! !" he sal
t Late that night every sleeper In Il
0 valley of the Doe was awakened by
!: great rumbling explosion, which WI
: followed almost Immediately by a
/, other great, rumblIng explosion. II
n fore the reverberations had di'