Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-08-04

1t was q ntne-rail fence, By" Inn
patiently cut In John Moreland
you've done told that so much al
it's dang nigh wore out. S'posen ye
go back thar to the orchard ahind o
the house and see what Gale and
Luke's a-doin'; hey, ByT
Heck nodded and went toward the
orchard. He knew they didn't want
him to overhear what they were going
to say, but 1t didn't offend him. II
wasn't easy to offend the goOd-natured
Heck.
Moreland turned to Dale. "Well7''
Dale turned to Hayes.
"We're going to begin the building
Of the little railroad at the earliest
possible moment. And because don't
know anything about the work, I'm
going to ask you to take the lead. Now,
there may be some fighting. l don't
want you to go into this thing blind
ly, you see. If you're going to with
draw at all, do it now"
I'm not stranger to fighting"
Hayes replied smilingly. "Tve been
through half a dozen coal strikes. l
think you may count on me, Mr.. Dale"
'"Then lay out a plan for immedi-
ate action"
"Td suggest" acquiesced Hayes,
shat we send to the little town in
the lowland for supply Of picks and
shOvels, axes and saws, hammers,
drills, and explosives In the mean
time, you and / can stake out the
way for the track"
It sounded businesslike, Dale
thought
Within the hour John Moreland and
his son Caleb started for Gainesville
on foot. and in the older mans pocket
was money sufficient to 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 a hand-ax
for making stakes.
II was not often that the quiet Hayes
permitted himself to go into raptures
over anything; however, he went in
to raptures over the Moreland coal.
1t was, he declared, one of the best
propositions he had ever seen. 1t
was no wonder that Henderson Con
was determined to get possession Of
it, he said.
Then they went to work.
BY shutdown two days later they had
chosen the route for the narrOw-gauge
railroad and set stakes accordingly.
Hayes told his general manager that
with a good force of men the last rail
could be put down within two months.
During those two days they had
several times seen Henderson Cor in
company with Black Adam Ball and
some of his relatives. Once they had
come upon Goff talking earnestly with
Saul LittlefOrd, the big, bearded, gaunt
brother OF the Littleford chief. Hayes
Dale Of this, and said to
him further:
"Goff will have the Littlefords on
his side the first thing you know f!
Maybe some of the LittlefOrds, as well
rs some Of the Balls, knew about this
coal before David MOreland got his
by states grant at a few cents
per acre. II you'll take my advice, MIR.
Dale, you'll make friends Of these two
sets just as quick as you can"
Dale thrust his hand-ax inside his |
belt and turned to the mining expert.
"D'you know, was thinking Of that
same thing when you spoke" he re-
piled. And ! believe can manage it,
low that Miss Littleford's accidental
has given the old feud such
| big blow. I'm fairly sure / can man
lge 1t so far as Ben Littleford is con-
:erned; it's John that's going to be
lard to bring to taw. He should be
lOme this evening, IL he's had good
uck, and I'LL tackle him as soon as he
.OmeS."
Together they started across David
mountain. walking rapidly,
With Dale leading.
Darkness came down on them when
hey had covered half the distance.
The great hemlOcks and poplars
Oomed spectral and gaunt In the early
starlight. The almost impenetrable
tickets Of laurel and ivy whispered
ncanny things, and their seas Of pink
nd snowy bloom looked somehow
hostly. Now and then there was the
altering OF some little animals feet
n the dry, hard leaves Of byg0ne
ears. A solitary brown owl poured
ut its heart in weird and melancholy
ries to the night it loved. There was
he faint, far-ofr baying OF hound,
nd the soft swish Of a nighthawk's
Tings.
Men from the core Of civilization
lust feel these things Of the wilder
ess.
suddenly Dale drew back ana stood
al. In the trail ahead. standing as
iotiOnless as the trees about him, was
le tall figure ofa man. II was almost
} though ne were there to bar the
ay.
The two went on slowly. the iigure Z
dn't move. Dale spoke. and the form
lme to life. Il was BY Heck; he was !
aiming on the muzzle OF his rifle.
''It's you, - It Bill. old boya" He