Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-07-07

what. THE amt but three things at
can bring city man here. mister" he
drawled on, "and them's moonshine
stills, bad health, and coal. You shore
ai'nt got bad health, and you amt got
the cut of revenuer, though few
minutes ago l thought mebbe We was.
And you shot at mel" said Dale.
NO." objected Heck. ~ shot at yore
hat. L allus hits at what | shoots at
mister. L wanted ye to turn yore face,
SOS l could see it, and ye did. AS fo'
that coal
The Morelands, they owns the coal
in David Moreland's mountain, and
they won't sell it fo' no mount O.
money. They lives over in the settle
ment, them and the Littlefords.
They're every DANCED one fine folks.
I'm a-goin' over thar now. Want to
go long? Say-dang my picture eft l
didn't fo'git to ak what might be yore
name, mister! !''
bill Dale" came quickly-"Bill
Dale. Settlement? Sure! Lead the
way, By Heck. Who's the young wom-
an | was talking with when you came
upT"
who? Her? That's old Ben Little
fords gyurl. Her names Babe. That's
what they call her. She's got another
name; but it amt been used fo' so
long it's been fo'got, l reckon. She's
the youngest one O. old Ben's children.
She hain't like none o. the rest o the
Littlefords. By gosh, she's awful high
headed. She can read good, Babe can.
Old Major Bradley, from down at Car
tersville in the lOwland, he spends his
summers up here fo' his health, and he.
teached Babe how to read. Fine fel-
Ter, Major Bradley. Lawyer. Babe
she has done read everything in the
whole DANCED country. The's sev'ral
Bibles, and book about Pilgrims
Progress, and Bakers Hoss and
Cattle Almaneck, and dic-dictionary.
But we'd better light out fo' the
settlement, MIR. Bill, or we'll miss din
ner, mebbe. I'm a plumb DANCED fool
about eatin'. l ct twenty-five biscuits
o. tiOur-bread this mornin' fo' break
fus', asides a whole billed hamshank,
and other things accordin'. It's the
dyin' truth! Come on, Mr.. BILL
They went down to the creek,
crossed it on stones, and began to
climb the low cliff.
After an hours travelling Heck
stopped in the trail and put the butt
of his rifle to the ground.
From right here, Bill" he said, 1--WE
can see every house In the whole
DANCED settlement"
They were standing on the crest of
David Moreland's mountain. Below
them lay broad valley cfeckered
with small farms; and each farm had
; its log cabin, its log barn and its apple
orchard. Beyond it all rose the great
and majestic Big Pine, which was
, higher and more rugged with cliffs
than David Morelands mountain.
THE Morelands lives on this side O.
the river, and the Littlefords lives on
yam side" drawled Heck. ''They don't
never have nothing to do with each
other, but they don't hardly ever fight
they're all strappin' big men. and they
fights so DANCED hard it don't pay. My
gosh, Bill, every man of 'em can shoot
q gnat's eyelash off at four hundred
yards-I wisht 1 may drap dead ef
they CANT! Do ye see that big cabin
right plumb in the middle o. the, nigh
half o the settlement, Bill? Well. the
boss O. the Morelands he lives thar
, John Moreland. That's whar you want
to 90, Bill, sence we've got a oncyor-
able case O. the disease knowed as
coal-on-the-brain. But can tell We
aforehand, you amt got enough money
to buy that coal. don't matter how
much money we've got''
: Dale Was not looking toward John
Moreiand's home now. His gaze had
wandered to the either side of the
river. BY Heck w&tted "a full minute
for a reply to his speech, then he
spoke again:
1.-The gyurl. 'Or the codHis that
what's a-botherin' we, Bill?"
Dale's eyes twinkled. Must / choose
; between them?' he laughed
.ShOreT'' BY Heck wasn't even s1nil-
ing. shore! The Morelands and
LittlefOrds hates each other wuss nor
blue-tailed hawk hates crow. The
gyurl, or the coal. Biil?"
"We'u go down ito John Moreiand's. -
announced Dale.
The mountaineer took I'D his rifle
. Let me gi' We "a word or two O. warn
in" ne continued seriously. .'Don't
you offer to pay John Moreland TO
eatin' his grub, Mor fO' sleepin' in his
bed, nor fo' ehantn' his tobacker. III
We do, yOre goose will shore be cooked
with John Morei;rnd. But eff We was
to brag on the Niittles a little. Jobn,s
wife a-bein' pOw'ful handy in the
kitchen, it wou1&n't do a DANCED bit
O. harm Do ye Understand it all now.
BinT
Dale nodded, and they began the de-
scent.
John Morelands house was built of
whole oak logs. which were chinked
with oak splits and daubed in between
with clay; the roof was of handmade
boards, and a chimney of stones and
clay rose at either end.
John Moreland himself sat on the
front porch, and beside him lay re-
peatlng rifle, two young squirrels that
had been very neatly shot through the
heau' ana q Weary black-and-tan
mound. He was an uhcommonly big
man. and about forty-seven; his eyes
were gray and Keen; his thick hair
and full beard We're rich brown. with
only few threads of white. There
was certain English tineness about
the man. One felt that he could trust
John Moreland.
AS the moonshner and his compan-
Ion reached the gate Moreland rose
and pushed his hat back from his fore
head.
HI, john" grinned Heck This
here feller wants to stay with We Il
few days, John. Seems to be all
right"