The Ordway new era., 1921-11-25

not the Littlefords all be Killed by
those drunken cutthroats while ne
| was waiting for the arrival OF com
pany of militia from city miles dis
| tapt?
Anyway, the militia would fight. His
clan would do no more than that. He
| satisfied his conscience quickly.
| When they had reached the lower
end of the cleared valley. there came
to them the sounds of slow firing, the
| firing of snipers. Each man kicked
his horses hanks and rode faster.
When they came in sight of the be
sieged building. they saw puffs of pow
ler-smoke rising lazily from the upper
windows and from the mountain side
above and TO the right. Again they
kicked the flanks OF their horses and
rode faster.
At John Morelands old cabin they
dismounted hastily and turned their
horses into the drab meadow. With
Dale still leading they hurried on foot
to the rivers nearest bank and went
rapidly. under cover OF the thiclSly-
standing sycamores, to point within
seventy yards OF the office and sup
plies building. Then they made dash
across the open space. and Ben Lit
tlerord. with one arm bound up In a
door for them.
"Who else is hurt?" painted Dale.
Little Tom" answered LIttleford,
"and Saul. Little Tom, he got bull
let onder the shoulder. Saul, he got
one IN might nigh the same place.
They've riddled the whole t'other
side O. the house to splinters. They're
a-callin' 70 you"
They'll get all they want OF me-"
Dale growled.
He turned and ran up the rough
stairway. and Ben Littletord and the
Morelands followed close upon his
heels. AT the front and side windows,
behind anything they had been able
to find that would stop bullet, knelt
Littlefords with rifles In their hands,
patiently watching for human tnrget
TO appear on the mountainsidc above.
Saul and Little Tom lay in corner,
where they were fairly safe from
chance bullets. Hayes had bound up
their wounds as well as he could with
the material at hand. They were
both white and helpless and suffering,
but still full of the old Littleford
fighting spirit.
Dale seized his Winchester and
belt of cartridges from the hands of
the man who had brought them to
him, and turned to the others. A bull
"a tu1, thn oil nd
struck the floor at his foot; he paid
no attention to it.
Listen to me, boys" Dale was
buckling his cartridge belt with rapid,
steady fingers. "From where they are
hiding, the Balls and Turner's can
hardly see the lower story of this
building. Wen go downstairs. open
the front door, and run to the edge
of the laurels at the foot of the noun
make wide detour, and get above
the Ball outfit; We'll be fighting down
hill instead of uphill. Get me? Are
you all ready?"
To a man. they were ready.
They reached the thick under
growth without being seen by the en-
emy. While the Balls and Turner's
fired more or less aimlessly at the
building, drank white whisky and
called drunkenly for the surrender to
them of Bill Dale, Bill Dale and his
men were making their way steadily
in wide half-circle up the side Of
David Moreland's mountain.
Half an hour after they had left the
Office building, Dale had stationed his
men, deployed as a line of skirmishers,
behind sheltering trees some two hun
dred feet above the Balls and their
kinsmen.
John Moreland, Ben Littleford and
Bill Dale were not far apart ITS a
shame to do it," said Dale. II swear,
we can't shoot men in the back like
this ~
John Moreland, twisted his mouth
into a queer smile of contempt, and
so did Ben Littleford. They knew.
far better than their leader the ways
of that people without a principle. The
Balls and Turner's wouldn't hesitate
to shoot them in the back!
Well" John Moreland replied. and
1t was almost q sneer, "ye might 20
down thar and give 'em some candy,
and kiss 'em, and ak 'em won't they
please SurrenderW
Dale leaned around his tree, n great
gnarled chestnut, and called boldly:
You've got chance to surrender
now-and you'd certainly better take
it quicki''
One of those below yelled surprised
ly: Whore you?" Then they all
whipped to the other side of their
sheltering timber.
The answer came at once: I'm Bill