Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-07-29

There came to his ears from some
where down the river the chorus Of
a rakish old hill song, and the voice
was that of the lanky moonshiner, BY
Heck
"Oh, when l die, don't-a bury me deep,
Put no tombstone at my head and feet
Put a bears jawbone in my right hand
On my way to the Promised La-a-and
Oh! On my way to the Promised
LandI
A few minutes later there appeared
on the Moreland side of the river the
singer of the rakish old song; he had
minnow pail in one hand and white
hickory rod In the other.
Hi, thar, Bill, old boy" he yelled.
Hi, thar, Babe! Either Of ye'uns
ketched anything?"
Ben Littleford's daughter held up a
fish proudly. Heck slapped his thigh
with his SLOUGH hat.
Good TO- you'll" he exclaimed. "But
they amt a-bitin' jest right. The
moons wrong, and the signs Is wrong
70 f1shin'."
At that instant John Moreland ap-
peared at Hecks side. He seemed very
.erious about something.
"Bill Dale" he called, "ceme over
here"
Wondering, Dale put down his rod
and turned to obey. Two minutes later
ne stood before John Moreland.
II jest wanted to tell ye," and the
mOuntaineer almost closed one alert
grey eye, "'at ye're purity shore to
git into trouble over thar"
"Tm an able-bodied man." Dale re-
turned smilingly.
"You shore are,' frowned Moreland,
but mebbe you amt used to burned
hard f1ghtin'."
Not used to hard fighting! Dales
smile broadened. Once he had whipped
a heavyweight pugillst; and he had
fought as a matter of principle, and
not for money or prestige.
MOreland suddenly jerked one thumb
toward the other side of the stream
Dale looked and saw, standing beside
Babe Littleford, a quite formidable
man. He had the height and BREADTH
almost, of a Goliath. He was black
eyed and black-haired and his thick
short beard was curled like the hair
between a bulls horns. In one hand
he carried a repeating rife as lightly
as though 1t were a mere straw.
One of his great arms suddenly
Strengthened toward Dale, and a voice
as gruff as the growl Of a bear said
holly:
what was you a-doin' here a-talkin'
to my gyurl?"
Babe Littleford looked angry. Dale
flushed, then went pale.
81 have a habit Of talking with
whom l please" he said evenly.
Spoke like a man." drawled the
lanky Heck in a very low tone.
Goliath Of the hills stared unbeliev-
ingly. Dale said in an undertone to
John Moreland: SIS it that Ball fell
low"
EYES," answered the hillman; sits
Black Adam Ball."
Ball dropped his rife to the
SlOlGlS, SlOWly CIcuCu0u HIS uuSC anu
hairy hands, and thrust his bearded
jaw out aggressively.
II dare We over here, We pink cow
ard |" he challenged.
IF you have any business with me,
come over here and transact it," Dale
retorted. II won't run"
That's Moreland TERRITORY" Bali
objected But I'll meet We half way,
and dare We to take me up, We lace
trimmed pink mollycoddle"
Halfway would be the middle of the
river, and no place for fight, surely.
But Dale was nettled. His temper,
the temper that he had never been
able to keep wholly under control, was
rising fast. He threw off his coat and
hat and rolled the sleeves of his soft
shirt to his elbows. Then he waded
into the pool. The slowly moving
water was up to his waist at the half
way point, and the bottom was of
hard-packed sand