The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1921-07-08
David Moreisnd's Nov stain.

almost before the mort Inbound traIr
had left the outskirts Of the state cap
ital behind. u incurred facing bis
odds; but other men had faced bis
odds and won ont, and what Others
had done he could do. Indeed. he had
already done several things which
other men might not have thought OF
doing and one " them was leaving a
bride. not rIurntively but literally, ~
the altar In n fashionable church But
he knew Patricia hadn't wanted "a
marry him any more ihsn he had
wanted 10 marry her.
II was only natural for him To think
OF coal. now that he had cut So"ss 20;
all time from the set" In which b.
had always been n colossal mIsft, now
that he must pul his own oars or vlr
tunlIy perish. He had heard coal
talked since the day OF his birth; "a
him coal md business meant exactly
the sans.
often spoken ~ fine vein In the
mountains ~ eastern Tennessee-had
often tried 70 persuade his father Ia
look Into H. 20 no avail. Young Dale re-
memb-re,i that this vein lay not far
from n long railroad siding called The
Halfway Switch. In ~. vicinity ~ Blg
Pine mountain. The owners were
mountain folk ~ English descent. his
fathers associate had said. Decidedly
strange, thought Dale. hat his father
had never cared TO investigate II.
The clndery iitile train reached the
leng siding about III. middle ~ fms
FASTENED out, and soon found himself
standing slone In the heart ~ an eI.
tremely Wild section 81 country.
When The D"lsss q; the little train
and The fast mail IL had just met had
died away. there came The .sucy chat
tering ~ boomer squirrels aud The
sweet twltisrlng ~ birds. Dale caught
the joyous spirit. tie could have
fairly shouted cut Of The fuliness OF
his very human heart. Here all was
unspoIl.d and uBprofsBed. and some.
thing whispered within him:
They won't call YOU n savage
here-make his your own country"
From somewhere on uearh,
mountalnside rifles keen report spli,
the air; bullet whined like mao
hornet; Daie'> hat jumped "a little oi
his head
The awakening was eIrctdugt!
rude. Dale wheeled. his gray eve.
ablaze. aud .Sw only 8 Tiny cloud Of
smokemist rising FROM The Iaurels
more than nifty feet away.
GONE cut. you coward ." o." roare'i.
Come out and let ME see YOU cur
oSity taking The place ~ anger iu hi,
voice. I've always wanted to know
just What real highwayman was
like
The muficl sound ~ twig break
lng short distance m To his left next
claimed his attention He was being
closely watched 10y pair of the fin
est. clcarcst brown eyes he had ever
seen. He saw her eyes first; he never
forgot that
She was standing on low clin be-
youd the sparkling creek aat flowed
beside the railroad aud She was par.
TALLY hidden by u ciunp of hhomng
laurel. hut bale could see thai she
WAS about twenty; that every line of
her rounded. graceful figure Wills
pered uf doelike strength; that She
WAS as straight as q young pine; hat
her ches,uui-hgowH hair caught The
sunlight. and bat her face WIS oval
shaped aud bandsoine-rather thsn
pretty--in spite ~ It's tan.
Dale took Of his hat There was
bullet hole IN We very top Of hs high.
peaked crown.
Who's The FobberT' he frowned.
The girl blushed.
"Mebbe lie fip't robbtr.' she sstd
"Mebbs he thought you vss somebody
else. ANYHOW. you sIn't bad hurt. ere
YEP
Dale s,Di,e.s. 'Oh, not seriously -
You amt nksly "a be. Of ye b.hsv.
ysseif."
"R -hehAvs nyseIf-i" Ds's
laughed. why. eeplsln't he nssshty
II I tried; I'm the one and only a,sm.
mas Mtie wiisit -beyi wonder " !
eoHid put ~ Ut scps honss neer
here: ebi"
The misbi os.- --hs- srid, rhesEht.
'ulIy.
where M ~s
At peps or gsfndpsp's, or With
most amy q my people or" she adde's
NTH coutempiuous twist TO her l!ps.
you might stay With some o. them
ow-down Norelande."
"where DO your people Iivei"
About slx mile bach that way"
She pointed over her shoulder with
/ forennger
ssWould Won MIND showing me the