American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-12-23
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
0TNOFoT0-

ing a life Of idle ease-and incidentally a
Price. Patricia Siavering; al the ia ai' iiFe
pountainesr girl. by" Heck a cGarac-
ar e ' hom Sni'' M ioFss ann is 70 c fHH' Of his
clan" which has an old feud with the
Lttlefords. He tells Dale OF the killing
Of his brother. David Moreland. years
ago, owner of rich coal deposits, by a
man named Carlyle. Moreland's deserip-
ton OF Carlyle causes Dale to believe
the man was his father.
CHAPTER uL-Dale oranges to make
hts home with the Moreland family, for
whom he entertains a deep respect.
Ben Littleford's daughter held W a
fish proudly. Heck slapped his thigh
with his SLOUGH hat.
Good TO you !" ne exclaimed. But
they amt a-bitin' jest right. The
moons wrong, and the signs is wrong,
To- fshin'."
At that instant John Moreland APP
peared at Heck's side. He seemed very
serious about something.
bill Dale" he called, come over
here"
Wondering, Dale put down his rod
and turned to obey. Two minutes later
he stood before John Moreland.
81 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"
I'm an able-bodied man." Dale re-
turned smilingly.
you shore are" frowned Moreland,
'but mebbe you amt used to burned
hard 1ghtin'."
Not used to hard fghtingl Dale's
smile b~roadened. Once he had whipped
a heavyweight pugilist; and he had
fought as a matter of principle, and
not for money or prestige.
Moreland suddenly jerked M 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,
wralmost. of a Goliath. He was black
eyed and black-haired, and his thick
short beard was curled like the hail
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 sait
holly:
what was you a-doln' here a-talkin
to my gyurlT"
Babe Littleford looked angry. Dali
flushed, then went pale.
81 have a habit of talking wit
- whom | please" he said evenly.
Spoke like a man." drawled tn
lanky Heck in a very low tone.
Goliath of the hills stared unbelieN
ingly. Dale said in an undertone I
John Moreland: SIS 1t that Ball fe
low2'
yes" answered the hillman; ait
Black Adam Ball"
Ball dropped his rifle to Il
violets, slowly clenched his huge an
hairy hands, and thrust his bearde
jaw out aggressively.
81 dare We over here, We pink coy
ard I" he challenged.
"If you nave any business with m
come over here and ransact It." Da
retorted. II won't run"
THAT'S Moreland TERRITORY" Ba
objected. "But I'll meet ye half wa
and l dare We to take me up, We Lac
trimmed pink mollycoddle !"
Halfway would be the middle Of I
river, and no place for a fight, sure
But Dale was nettled. His tempe
the temper that he had never be
able to keep wholly under control, W
rising fast. He threw off his coat a
hat and rolled the sleeves of his So
shirt to his elbows. Then he wad
into the pool. The slowly movi
water was up to his waist at the ha
way point. and the bottom was
h~ard-packed sand.
The Goliath stared unbelieving
he was not accustomed to having
challenges thus accepted. He thr
off his hat and went to meet the III
young stranger.
Bill Dale squared himself and ]
up his guard. Adam Ball came
and he was scowling w%ickedly.
Ball rushed, the clear water swirl
In his wake, and let out with a pow
full right. 1t was a blow TO crush
ordinary mans chest in; but, to Ba
surprise, 1t failed to land. Dale eva
II cleverly, and at the same time 8
a swift left uppercut to the Oth'
ouIl-like jaw. Adam BAH muttered
wicked words and steadied hims'
he had caught a tartar. A mom'
and he led out again, and he mis-
again but he followed IT with a b
that made a red mark on Bill Da
shoulder.
"How's that. We pink cowardT'
crEred.
An right-how's thisf
And Dale sent on a mighty D
that ~rebounded DULY from the gia
chest and ELECTED only a harsh La