Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-10-07

state o. Nawth Ca'liner. But my find
it amt nowhars clost to home. 'Tain't
no more'n about two hours o walkin'
from right here, mister. Eff you'd jest
up and go along wi me, I'd show it to
ye"
Dale considered. There might be a
! considerable vein of this new coal.
Even if he was sent to the state peni-
Tertiary for a term of years, Hayes
was entirely capable of carrying on the
mining operations.
I'D like to take my mining man,
Hayes"
mol" quickly objected Walt Tur-
ner. II don't want nobody else to
know whar it's at but jest you and
me. That away, We see, eff I'm treated
crooked I'll know edzactly who done it
and I'll shore git you But I herd
tell at you was pow'ful square, mis-
ter"
Gould / get back here before night
fall?"
Turner's eyes lighted. "Shore!"
'Then lead the way" ordered Dale.
Walt Turner from Turner's Laurel,
Madison county, state of North Caro-
lima, crossed the little creek on stones
and went straight to the northeast,
missing the Ball settlement by a good
mile, and hard on his heels followed
the Moreland Coal company's stalwart
general manager.
The way was exceedingly rough.
The two men climbed rugged cliffs,
threaded dense thickets of great laurel,
mountain laurel, sheep laurel, and
huckleberry bushes. They were one
hour in a stretch of woods where the
hemlocks, poplars and hickories stood
so thickly that the interlacing branches
overhead shut out completely the light
of the sun and half the light of day.
Fearing a panther, or a wildcat, Dale
kept his revolver loosened and ready in
its holster. Walt Turner armed him
self with long staff-for snakes, he
said; and then he proved it by killing
RATHER that had eight rattles to its
tail.
But they travelled rapidly, notwith-
standing the fact that the going was
difficult; and two hours after the be-
ginning of the little journey Dale saw
before him small and almost circular,
level-bottOmed basin walled in by low
cliffs. A small creek ran through this
basin and made two easy ways of en-
trance. In the hollow they saw clumps
of laurel and huckleberry bushes, and
wild grasses knee-high; toward the
center stood a solitary big and gnarled
black walnut tree.
They entered at the point at which
the creek ran in, and went to the wal
nut tree. There Turner halted and
faced Bill Dale with a peculiar CLINT
in his eyes. Dale was looking at the
rugged walls Of stone, and at the
thick green forest that rose above
them; he was marveling, as only a
true lover of beauty can marvel, at
the wonderful grandeur of it all.
Walt Turner, of Turner's Laurel,
opened his slit of mouth and spake,
Here's the kitty!"
Dale was brought out of his en-
joyment most rudely. From behind
clumps of laurel and huckleberry
bushes, from the tall grasses, from
everywhere-it seemed from nowhere
there sprang dozens of Balls and
Torreys with rifles in their hands !!
Bill Dale had walked, as gently as a
kitten, straight into a trap.
His right hand moved toward the
butt Of his revolver, then dropped
at his side. It was foolish. worse
than useless, to show fight; dozens
of rifles were staring at him with their
| frowning, murderous eyes, and their
bullets would riddle him If he showed
! fight. He glanced toward Walt Tur-
ner, kinsman of the Balls.
Turner was laughing openly. Pore
little kitty"
IF ever / have the chance NUT
tered Bill Dale, "I'll thrash you for
this cute little joke of yours"
.sYou won't never have the chanst,"
laughed Walt Turner.
The Balls and the Torreys began
to close in on ali sides, and solid
ring Of dark and for the most part
bearded, wickedly triumphant faces
| formed itself around Dale. Adam
Balls father, the acknowledged leader
of that band of cutthroats that was
now the Ball-Torrey faction, glared at
Dale with black eyes that were filed
with the fire of intense hatred; then
he seized Dale's revolver and thrust
| it inside the waist-band of his worn
Jeans trousers. Dale felt the grip
Of rough hands on his shoulders and
arms. He fully realized his great
danger; but he strove to keep all signs
of fear out Of his countenance, and
he was not unsuccessful.
Il presume this is what you call
taking the law into your own hands,
isn't it?' he said with smile that
was forced.
"Edzactly!'' snapped old Ball. Eve
ketched We fo' the law, and we held
We fo' the law, and we turned We over
to the law; and EN-, by comics, the
law turned We loose the very next
day! And zen the shuriff he comes
out here and arrests four o. us! Eff
the law won't try We and punish ye
To- a-shootin' my son Adam in cold
| blood, by comics, Wen try We and
punish We fo' a-doin' it. But ye
needn't be skeered none at all. Ye're
plumb shore to git jestice. I'll prom
Use We jestice."