Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-07-29

Of strength; another moment, and Ball
was about to sink the brown head un-
der the surface!
Babe LittlefOrd gave smothered
cry. John Moreland stepped toward
the water and shouted hoarsely:
Don't We drowned him Adam! Eff
We do, yell answer to mel"
Dale had gathered himself for last
move. He slipped downward suddenly,
immersing himself completely, and
shot one arm around Balls thigh;
then, by great effort, he rose with
the giant and overthrow him, and
staggered free!
Balls hairy face came to the surface
first. Dale fought back the pain of
the water in his lungs, and the pain
as of sharp and jagged slivers Of steel
in his hands,. and struck madly, half
blindly, at the hateful face. He kept
it down, but it wouldn't go under the
water completely. =.
Adam Ball began to drift as though
lifeless down the stream. Bill Dale
followed, still fighting weakly, choking
as he breathed. But soon he ceased
to strike. He saw, instead of the beast
like face. flashes as Of distant summer.
lightning, and red blOtches against
thick blackness. The blOtcheS faded,
and all became dark to him; he
pitched forward, sasping, 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 lHm, 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 Moreland" she
called TREMENDOUSLY.
"No, 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 tell We, John and
Sam? What did 1 tell ye? La, la
Wasn't it a master fight, like l said
now wasn't it?"
Sometimes We make me a little
tired, granny-woman." Moreland re
monstrated gently. 1.-THE amt nothin
in forchune-tellin'. You've jest been
here TO- so long at you know how tC
jedge the future by the past. And
you're a tol'able good guesser, too,
reckon"
Granny Heck fiared up quickly
"Ain't nothin' in forchune-tellin'
Now don't go and fool yeself, John
Moreland. You listen to me about q
half minute, John. seed more in the
cup an told Mr. Bill. I seed BLOOD
and death. I seed a big fight atwixt
the Morelands and the Littlefords =!
That's easy to guess at" John
Moreland replied. "You know, o
course, at Black Adam will do all he
can to bring trouble to us on account
o. Bill Dale a-stayin' with u.s. And
you know it amt never impossible tC
hatch up war atWeen us and the Lit
tlefOrds. Jest run on ahead, Granny
Heck, and tell my wife to hunt up
some kind O. good liniment fo' Bits
bruises. Tell her she needn't to waste
time a-lookin' up any bandages. This
man here is like me: he wouldn't wear
bandages, cause they look bad"
When Dale came back to a state OF
consciousness, he was lying under
covers in the carved black walnut bed
Beside him stood John Moreland, who
held in ~One hand bowl containing a
hot herb brew that his wife had pre-.
pared. Granny Heck, her son BY, and
Mrs. Moreland stood not far away.
"This here'll be good TO- We, think,
said Moreland, nodding toward the
bowl In his hand. He went over anG
put an arm around Dale's shoulders
and helped him to sit up.
Dale drank the stuff with difficulty
"Mnch obliged" he muttered thickly