Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-08-04
CHAPTER v.
At the River Again.

as the Morelands did"
'The devil !"
The mountaineers began to crowd
about Dale.
"And Who" asked their leader, do
We think done it,"
Bill Dale shook his head slowly and
threw out his hands.
How should 1 know?" He went
on: Babe told menbout the Littleford
guns disappearing. l saw her down
at the river; she was fishing"
did she say anything" pursued
John Moreland, lat sounded like she
knowed whar them guns went tor
"She told me-" said Dale, "she would
give her life to stop the fighting. She
seemed rather badly worked up over
it,"
From the cabins front doorway came
a wOman's sorrowful voice:
"And me, too; I'd give my life to
stop this here tightin'. had a boy,
a big, strappin' boy"
John Moreland frowned toward his
wife and interrupted, Now, Atie'
honey, don't do that"
1t ended the talk.
Mrs. Moreland dried her eyes on n
corner of her freshly ironed gingham
apron, and announced the MONDAY
meal. The mountaineers dispersed
Grandpap Morelnnd went away claw
Ing at his long white beard and grum-
bling over the loss OF his beloved oid
Lancaster.
An hour later Dale cornered the
Moreland leader on the vlne-huhS
front porch and suggested that they
look over the coal property that AFTER
noon. He was eager to go to WORK.
eager to be doing something worth
while, he told MoreIand. The hlllmah
stood very still for what seemed 10
the other a very long time, ana ha"
no word to say, Evidently the 1euu
had all his mind now.
When he did speak, he said simply !:
"AII right, Bill"
After half an hour of fighting their
way through thickets of blooming iau-
rel and ivy, they drew up before an
old and widowed cabin at the north
end of David Moreland's mountain
Moreland led the way in and pointed
to a spot under small, paneless VIII
dow.
"Thar," said he, "is whar we found
my brother David"
The two men turned for the point
at which the coal vein ran out to the
light of day.
Dale picked up a piece of the shin
ing black stuff Judging by the little
he knew and the great amount OF de-
scrjption he had heard, the vein was
very large and the coal itself OF the
finest grade.
1T was big tind," he told his com
panion, "a big find. 1t was pity 10
let it lie here untouched for SO long ;
and yet it's worth more today than II
was ever worth before"
His enthusiasm ran warm, and More
land caught it quickly. Together they
hastily planned out the little railroad
that was to wind it's way through the
wilds and connect with the big rail-
road at the Halfway switch.
II know I'm a-doin' right about 1t,
the mountaineer said twice for the
benefit of his conscience. Il know
pore David he would want me TO 90
this eff he could know"
I'm sure of it," agreed Dale. "pll
start for Cincinnati tomorrow. I've
got enough money to take me there
and back. l have a very wealthy
friend there--his name is Harris; l
think | can borrow enough from him
to finance the beginning OF this thing.
And I'll buy a locomotive and cars,
and all the other necessary machinery,
while I'm In Cincinnati-unless | fall
70 get the money from Harris. When
get back, which should be within
eight days, we'll start the work. AT
guess, I'd say we'll need twenty
men. Can we get them?
ashore" nodded the mountaineer.
"And all Morelands at that"
They turned homeward. AT last
Riu Dale was happy. He had some
thing to do now-an aim In life. lie
had difficulties to overcome, obstacles
to remove, barriers to surmount-it
was his big chance
n was almost shutdown when Dale
returned from his visit to the coal
veIn-Big Pine mountain hid the sun
~ little after three In the afternoon.
He borrowed fishing rod and a min
now mil, which made his going to the
river seem proper enough to John
Moreland. and set out to meet Babe
,ttleford. He was glad that nobody
axnressed desire to accompany him.
,le found Ben Littleford's daughter
where he had found her twice before