The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-09-16

John Moreland turned up the light
n little. and cracked a worn but time
~ joke; then he looked toward one
Of the men whom he had fought
t~hroughout many years. and muttered
iIto his thick brown beard:
saul, friend, Will We do us the "a
vor o kin the blesSin', eff We pieaseT'
Shore, John, O course"
Saul Littleford. the very illiterate,
laced his big fingers together across
his plate, bent his head, and told the
good Almighty that they were all
very much obliged to Him for the fine
supper they had before them, for Ad-
die Moreland who had cooked it, for
peace, and for Bill Dale.
II was almost midnight when the
visitors left. They had been sitting
outside, on the honeysuckle-scented
front porch and in the cabin yard. At
last Bill Dale and John MOreland
were left together on the porch.
There's a thing that has puzzled
me since the mOment | got here this
evening" said Dale. why is 1t that
nobody seems to De grieving over
Caleb's being in jail?"
The big hiilman's answer came al
most sharply: NO Moreland ever
grieved over a sacrifyce, Bill"
Dale sat up straight. "A sacrifice {!
What do you mean?'
This time the big hiiIman'S answer
came slowly. Il mean at Gale he's
a-takin' all o the load OF o yore
shoulders at he can. Gale he's a-takin'
yore place in Jail ontel the trial cOmes
of. which1I be at the October term
o cote. He trusts you to come back
and set him free on the day o he
trial. @ course youll do il; We haint
never doubted that TO one little min
Ute. Bill. But il wasn't all done 70
yore sake. You're the hope o the
Morelands. and you can do a heap
more here an Caleb can"
He leaned toward Bill Dale and
went on in a confidential tone:
and | can tell We this here. eff
you're found guilty o KILN Adam
RaIl. and sentenced 70 even n year.
the MorelandS and the LittlefordS is
a-goin' to take We from the officers and
turn We loose with n good, long start
on The law"
"Wouldn't that be rather
Dale broke off because he had seen
the tall figure of a man appear in the
open gateway. 1t was BY Heck, and
he spoke.
Hello, John Morrland,
Hello yeself"" growled Moreland,
VITO was not at all pleased ut the in
corruption.
Heck advanced, carrying his rifle
nv lis muzzIe. He halted with n
foot on the stone step.
I've got news 70 We. Bill" he said,
recognizing Dale even in the dark
ness. I've been a eaveSdrappIn up
at old Balls house. and | had 10 choke
about ten dawgS to do il. Bill. Old
boy. them Balls has done swore by
everything on earth and IN Heaven
and in Torment at they'll kill You ef
the law don't. IgOd. ye'd better watch
our. Bill"
John Moreland rose from his chair.
Much obleeged TO We, BY. And good
night to We. Les go into the house,
Bill. | didn't think them ID pole
cats had that much narve-and | don't
hardly believe II yit. 1t might ha been
White Ticker a-talkin. Their kind o
white ticker amt hawneSt, like BY
Heck's is. though hiS'n is bad enough.
Their kindll make a man reStrrect
his dead inemies out o the graveyard
and shoot EN- up all over again. IL
amt a-goin' to do a great deal q harm.
Bill. ef We don't light no lamp when
We go to bed. A man CANT never tell
jest what's a-gOin' TO happen
"And the BalI-Torrey outfit" Dale
began. when the Moreland chief cut in:
"Ef the Rall-Torrey outfit posters
you, they're every one purity burned
apt 10 die with what is knOWed genial
ly in this section as the %riip-buliet dis
ease"