The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-09-30
upon reaching the shelter :
that lined the banks or the }

upon reaching the shelter : "
that lined the banks or the T.
out being seen. The streaul
more than fifty yards wide; 8.
Blue Cat shoals. The we l.
trees stood back a rod or - taos. g.
water, making the final ShooiIj- u
t0nCc SoIle seventy yards.
Drawled Heck Les set down ~
and watch il hey?"
Dale was silent. The very air W
filled with the spirit of tragedy. III
farotf tinkle OF a cowbell Seomt
tragic; tragic, too, sounded the SOL
OF a bird somewhere in the tire
branches overhead.
did We hear me, BillT
Il think" Dale muttered, that L,
better not 20 away until tomorrow
l can't leave matters like this. Dc
YOU know OF any way to stop thai
down there?"
BY Heck shrugged his shoulders.
do YOU know o any way to stop
the riSin' and settin' o the SUM-" he
grinned.
They went back TO John Moreland's
cabin.
1t was altogether by accident that
h Littleford chief found his weapons.
lie had dropped n small coin through
Il crack in the floor. Babe was quick
TO say that she would crawl under the
h0use 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: lie placed the rifles care
fully on the floor of the porch, turned
and caught his daughter by the arm.
"Who hid emp" he demanded grutliy.
Il hid EN- was the ready answer,
defiant and bitter-'I, me! What're
you a-goin' 10 do about it?"
Littleford flung his daughters arm
from him. lie was king, even as John
MoreIand was king, Ills keen eyes
stared at the young wOman's face as
though they would wither IT.
What made you hide emp" he
growled. SAY, what made We do itY'
"ro try and save human lives. ats
WHY" Babe answered. THAT man
from the city-what'll he think O. us
a-doin' ~this-away, %a-tightin' like crazy
wildcats?"
EFF he don't like the way we do
here, he can go back home" retorted
the angry mountaineer. ale amt tied,
is hep
Babe smiled n smile that was some
how pitiful. and turned OFF.
The amt no use I'm a-argyin' with
you, pap" she said hopelessly. II
might nigh wiSht | VS. dead"
At that instant the gate creaked
open. Babe glanced toward Ii and saw
coming that black beast Of a man,
Adam BAH the Goliath, and he was
armed heavily In n hand he carried
a new high-power repeating rifle, and
diouId lis great waist tIltic was a
new belt briStling with long, bright
smOkeless cartridges fitted with steel
jacketed bullets.
When Dale and his companion
reached the cabin, Addie Moreland met
them. Anxiety was breaking her
heart.
MIR. Dale" she pleaded, IL want you
to 90 down thar to the river and see
ef the's anything We can do to stou
it afore it begins. You jest walk on,
bold In the open and We won't be shot
at, and I'll be Obleeged to We. Oh, /.
know the amt but one chanst in ten
thousand, but I'm a-prayin' yen strike
that one chanst."
Dale knew that he could do nothing
toward bringing peace, and he knew
that John Moreland would be angry
at his interfering. But he nodded and
went toward the river. He didn't have
the heart in him to refuse.
Theu there came the keen thunder of
q rifle shot.
Dale halted for a moment. Between
two sycamores on the nearer side OF
the river he saw a puff of smoke ris-
ing lazily from behind a water oak on
the farther side "a Littleford had fired