The Crittenden press., 1921-12-02


through half q dozen coal strikes. |
think you may count on me, Afr. Dale. "
Then lay out = plan Tor lmmedl-
ate action"
"rd suggest" acquiesced Hayes.
"thai We send to the little town In
the lowland for = supply Of picks sud
sh0yels, aKes and saws. hammers.
drills, aud explosives. In the mean
time. you and ! can stake out the
way for the track"
Il sounded busineaslike Dala
thought
Within the hour John MOreland and
bis sou Caleb started for Cartsrsyille
90 foot, aud IN the older mans pocket
was msney suniclent 10 buy the things
that were needed
Dale and Hayes set out for the north
end OF David Moreland's mountain.
and each Of them carried q hand-aK
for making stakes
Il was not often that the quiet Hayes
permitted himself TO 50 into raptunes
over anything, however. he went In
TO uptures over the M0reland coal.
Il was. be declared. sns " the best
propositions be- had ever seen. II
was no wonder that Henderson Uon
was determined 10 set possession Of
H. be- said
Then they weut 10 wOrk.
by sundown two days later they had
chosen the routs Tor the narrow gauge
railroad and Get stakes accordingly.
Hayes told his general manager that
with = go0d force OF men the last rail
could BE- put down within two months.
During those two days they had
several times sssn henderson GOf IA
company with hlack Adam Hall and
some u hia relatives. Oncs they had
come upon uOr talking earnestly with
saul LitiisfOri. the big. bearded. gaunt
brother OF the Lttisford chief. Hayes
reminded Dale of this. and said 20
aim further:
-uon vill have the utllefords on
bic side the nrst thing you know I
Maybe some " the I1ttlefords a. ~eil
ss some of the balls. knsw about this
coal before David Morsland goi his
mountain By states grant a. few cents
per acfs n you'ii tnks my adyice. Ar.
Dsls. you1l make friends Of these two
cts Just a. quick a. y0u can
Dale thrust hia hand.at inside Ms
belt and turned 10 the mining expert
-Dyou kn0w. vas thinkins of that
same thing vhsa y0u spoke he re-
piled. -And ! believe l can manage u.
aow that Miss LAttisfords accidental
vounding has given the Old fsud such
. blg blow. I'm fsiriy suv can man.
age Il 40 far as bsu iAtiieford u Goa.
eernsd. n's John that's going 10 30
hard 10 bring 10 taw. NJ should BE-
home this evening. n hes had good
luek. and IA tackle aim a. soon a. be-
CONES
Together thsy started scross David
Noreiands mountain. wsltins rapidly.
With Dale leadins
Darkness cane down % them vbsn
thsy had covered half the distance.
The great hsmlocks and popiars
loomsd spectral and saunt IN the eariy
starlight Ths siIa0st impsnstrabis
thickets of laurel and ivy whispered
uncanny thinu aud their seas Of pima
and snosy bloom locked somehow
ghostiy. Nov snd thea there wss ne
psttsfins of soms little animais fest
o. the dry. hard ieayss of byrons
yeara A solitary br0wn 0vi poured
out he hsart 10 wsiri and msiancholy
cries 10 The night u loved. There vas
ths faint faroa baying of = hound.
and the soft ssish ef . niThthaska
wing
Msa from the cure " civiliEation
must fssi thsss thiuss of ths wilder
neaA
suddsaly Dale drsw baek and siood
still In the tran ahead. sianding ~
motioalsas as ths trees about him. was
ths tAll nrufs q . man. Il vss almosi
a. though he usrs thsrs % bar ths
way.
Ihs two seat % slowly, Ths ngufs
didnt move Dale spoks and ths fora
cane 10 lifs Il as NJ nsCk b. sas
leaning o. the munris Of be rins
-irs you. is Il. hiil Old boyf- iis
Ja~ned siagFiahiJ. ! Nas s.waitin'
here % you. I reckon ! must be-
went 10 sleep astandin' hsfs 90 my