New Mexico state record., 1921-10-28
CHAPTER x-continued.

\ little after worli-timc that day
1874 Dale started alone on the way OF
,ic narrow gauge railroad for the sid
ing. lie wished 10 see for himself Just
what the damage had been to the
'reStle. and he hoped To meet Goff, or
i;all, or n Torrry. and learn some
'h'ng that would be to his advantage.
Before he had covered two miles, he
had seen two Of the enemy skulking
tIrough the woods and he recognized
them for TorrryS from Jerusalem
cove and IIattou'S Hell; he knew II
hy their very swurthy skin. their high
rh"rlbOnes AMI their coarse black
hair, the outcrorpIuG> Of the Cherokee
indan blood H. them. They looked
cunning and wicked, Dale loosrned
Ia its holster thr big revolver that
Major BRADLEY had persuaded him to
carry for his own protection. John
hlorcand had Taught him how to use
htparms.
At n point near where the little
stream that flowed past the Halfway
switch emptled into Doe river, where
Toe river turned almost squarely TO
,hc left. Dale halted abruptly. He had
seen n man dart behind Il scrubby oak
-amc thirty yards ahead of him; quite
"aDurally, he concluded that the fel-
tow meant to waylay him. aud he, too.
ntepped behind Il tree, n big hemlock.
silent minute went by. Then Dale
I,ut his hat out ou one side of the tree
nad peeped from the other side: II
Was an old trick that Grandpap More
sad had told him about. A rifle
'rackrd promptly and sharply, and
hHil"thole appeared in the rim of his
Nat
Following it. there came the coarse.
tl>c voice of Black Adam Ball, the
,.,uniaineer Goliath:
You Can't fool me. | lest shot To
-l'rl hole in yorc new hat and To |
show yc 'at mint no bad shot. You
.,in't hit my hat :"
Dalr's temper. the temper that had |
eirayS been so hard to keep under |
..HIrol rose quickly. lie tried to rea- |
.po with himself. and couldn't: his |
t.ls>iun mastered him. He snatched
Np big revolver from its holster and
.rrcbcd H. Wl'h q = steady hand as
.rr held a weapon trained he began
81. pke aim az Balls Slouch hat. the
. ri, OF which was in plain view at one
- e.. of the scrnbby oak.
{ fooled you once. back there in
O. 'u. nidd!c Of the river" ho cried hot
g. aud now I'm going 10 fool you
l.arpi'
Ihcrc was In his voice that old. old
i.rjmitirc rage. which frightened him.
,ai puzzled him too in his better mo-
io-nt-.
tie lot down the bead until II was
barely visible In the notch, and eased
II The trigger. The revolver roared
,,d splt forth tiny tongue Of flame
.nd little cloud of white smoke. Ball
.prang erect, wheeled. and fell crash
H. 10 the leaves.
balc dropped his weapon. He went {
- white as death, and his two hands
iuicled uncertainty at his throat. He
: dN nAhlNfAFi ~. lit WISH his {
sH;ict had gone Wild; It had struck
:airS head on the other side of the /
rec. by accident But how could he 7
,rore that 1t had been an accident? (
You'd any jury believe him? 1t was I
sr from probable. (
lie stepped from behind the hem {
prk and went toward the wrlthlng d
soiiaih. whose legs only we're visible b
ow .
Then n third shot rang out on the
1oning stiffness. 1t had been fired {,
rom a point some little distance b
say. and Dale's condition of mind at $
le moment was such that he didn't s.
ven note the direction from which v
ne sound had come. He was unhurt. a
nd he had not heard the whine of a IA
uilet or the pattering of shot on the a
syes. When he looked about him, II
. saw no one; neither did he see any o.
.riisle smoke Perhaps, he thought b