Taiban Valley news., 1921-11-04

upon reaching the shelter OF the trees
that lined the banks or the river with
out being seen. The stream here was
more than fifty yards wide; this was
Blue Cat shoals. The two lines OF
trees stood back rod or so from the
water, making the final shooting dis.
tance some seventy yards.
Drawled Heck: LES set down here
and watch 1t; hey?"
Dale was silent. The very air was
filled with the spirit of tragedy. The
farofr tinkle Of a cOwbell seemed
tragic; tragic, too, sounded the song
OF bird somewhere in the tree
branches overhead.
did We hear me, Bill?"
II Think" Dale muttered, that I'd
better not go away until tomorrow.
/ can't leave matters like this. Do
you know of any way to stop that
down there?"
BY Heck shrugged his shoulders.
do you know o. any way to stop
the risn' and settin' o. the SUM-" he
grinned.
They went back to John Moreland's
cabin.
1t was altogether by accident that
the Littleford chief found his weapons.
He had dropped small coin through
a crack in the floor. Babe was quick
to say that she would crawl under the
house and look for the coin, although
she had just put on a freshly laun-
dered blue-and-white calico dress. Her
anxiety showed plainly in her face.
Her father questioned her sharply, and
she stammered in spite of herself. Ben
LittlefOrd's suspicious were aroused.
So he came out from under the cabin
floor with his hands full of the steel
Of rifle barrels, and with the money
forgotten. He placed the rifles care
fully on the floor OF the porch, turned
and caught his daughter by the arm.
"Who hid 'em?" he demanded grutfiy.
II hid EN-" was the ready answer,
defiant and bitter-"I, me! What're
you a-goln' to do about it?"
Littleford flung his daughters arm
from him. He was king, even as John
MOreland was king. His keen eyes
stared at the young woman's face as
though they would wither it.
what made you hide 'emT' he
growled. Say, what made We do it?"
ITO try and save human lives, ats
whyw Babe answered. THAT man
from the city-what'll he think o. US
a-doin' this-away, a-fghtin' like crazy
"Ef he don't like the way we do
here, he can go back home," retorted
the angry mountaineer. "He amt tied,
is he?"
Babe smiled a smile that was some
how pitiful. and turned off.
The aln't no use in a-argyin' with
you, pap" she said hopelessly. II
might nigh wisht was dead"
At that instant the gate creaked
open. Babe glanced toward 1t and saw
coming that black beast Of a man,
Adam Ball the Goliath, and he was
armed heavily; in one hand he carried
a new high-power repeating rifle, and
around his great waist there was
new belt bristling with long, bright
smokeless cartridges fitted with steel
jacketed bullets.
When Dale and his companion
reached the cabin, Addie Moreland met
hem. Anxiety was breaking her
heart.
"Mr. Dale" she pleaded, II want you
10 go down thar to the river and see
If the's anything ye can do to stop
I afore it begins. You jest walk out
bold in the open and ye won't be shot |
It, and I'll be Obleeged to We. Oh, l |
Inow the amt but one chanst in ten |
thousand, but I'm a-prayin' yell strike
hat one chanst."
Dale knew that he could do nothing
oward bringing peace, and he knew
hat John MOreland would be angry
It his interfering. But he nodded and
vent toward the river. He didn't have
he heart in him to refuse.
Theu there came the keen thunder Of
rifle shot.
Dale halted for moment. Between
wo sycamores on the nearer side OF
he river he saw a pufr of smoke ris-
ng lazily from behind a water oak on
he farther side; Littleford had fired
rst. Dale went on, moving rapidly
nd trying to keep himself always in
lain view.
The feud forgotten.