Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1921-08-25
and puzzled him too, in his better mo

:. He let down the bead until Ii was
barely visible In the notch, and eased
| off the trigger The revolver roared
j and spat forth tiny tongue of fame
and little cloud Of white smoke. Ball
sprang erect, wheeled. and fell crash
ing to the leavesl
Dale dropped his weapon. He went
as white as death, and his two hands
clutched uncertainty at his throat. He
was a murderer No, he wasn't-his
bullet had gone wild; 1t had struck
Balls head on the other side Of the
tree, by accident. But how could he
prove that 1t had been an accident?
Would any jury believe him2 1t was
far from probable.
He stepped from behind the hem
lock and went toward the writhing
Goliath, whose legs only were visible
now.
Then a third shot rang out on the
morning stiffness. 1t had been fired
from point some little distance
away, and Dale's condition Of mind at
the moment was such that he didn't
even note the direction from which
the sound had come. He was unhurt,
and he had not heard the whine of a
bullet or the pattering of shot on the
leaves. When he looked about him,
he saw no one; neither did he see any
telltale smoke. Perhaps, he thought
dimly, 1t had been sQuirrel-hunter
that had fired that shot. He forgot
about 1t very quickly for the time be-
ing, and went on toward Adam Ball,
who now was lying perfectly still.
There was a bullet-hole through and
through the great, shaggy head. The
face behind the short, curly black
beard was of the colorless hue of
soapstone. The giant hillman was
dead.
Bill Dale knelt there beside Black
Adam. Again he clutched at his throat
with his two shaking hands, and this
time he tore his blue flannel shirt. II
the agony and all the remorse in the
universe seemed to be gathering there
in his heart. Never before had he
seen death. It's grim presence terrified
him. That the deplorable thing had
been an accident, due to his faulty
craftsmanship, mattered little. He
had killed a man, and the blood-red
brand of Cain was burning away on
his brow; he was a man In hell OF
his own making And kneeling there
Bill Dale sobbed great sob that
shook his BIZ cad shoulders as violent
ague would have shaken them.
He tried t. look at the blue-edged
hole in the shaggy head; at the cruel,
british face that was of the colorless
hue Of soapstone. Merciful sfears
blinded him. and he couldn't see. It
was a compensation, pitifully beauti-
full compensation. -.
Five minutes passed, five minutes
kthat were as five years to this man
who had never been In the presence
Of death before. Then he realized that
he was being surrounded by kinsmen
of the dead mountaineer. He looked
up into their ashen, angry faces. and
they cursed him. Big and gripping
brown hands were placed upon him;
several rifles were turned upon him.
He arose and spread out his arms, and
offered his breast to the frowning muz-
zles. They could give him. at least,
oblivion. n
"Shoot, If you like" he said bitterly.
sit was on accident, yknow, but
shoot, If you like"
"No," commanded Adam Balls
father, slender and angular old man
with a struggling iron-gray beard
"No, don't shoot. Shootin's too quick,
by comics. And 'en. 1t amt accordin'
to law" (Queer how suddenly he re-
spected the majesty of the law y
WED burned sight ruther see. him
hung by the neck ontel dead In the
iailyard at Gainesville. Ye'uns put
down them thar guns. Put down all
o. them thar guns right now; hear
mel"
He turned back to Dale, "Ye say 1t
was accident" he sneered.
| "Yes, 1t was an accident"
alike the old devilp reared Black
Adams father.
! He stopped and picked up his sons
black SLOUGH hat and examined it.
There were two bullet holes close to-
gether in the rim-and one Of them
had been there for a long time.
"John Moreland. he's been a-l'arnin'
We how to Shoot" he said, "and you've
shore Earned purity DID well. 1t must
ha' been yore third shot at got
Adam"
II fred only once" disagreed Dale
"Your son fired first; fired second
, and somebody else, I haven't the
slightest idea who, fired the other
shot"
saw, shet upi Ye can tell it at the