Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-08-18
CHAPTER q.
David AaoreIand,s MountaIn.


odds; but other men had faced big
odds and won out, and what others
had done ne could do. Indeed. he had
already done several things which
other men might not have thought Of
doing. and one Of them was leaving q
bride. not fguratively but literally. at
the altar In fashionable church But
he knew Patricia hadn't wanted to
marry him any more than he had
wanted to marry her.
IL was only natural for him to think
Of coal, now that he had cut loose for
all time from the ''set" In which he
had always been a colossal misfit. now
that he must pull his own oars or vir-
tually perish. He had heard coal
talked since the day Of his birth; to
him coal and business meant exactly
the same.
One Of his fathers associates had
often spoken Of a fine vein in the
mountains Of eastern Tennessee-had
often tried 70 persuade his father to
look into II, to no avail, Young Dale re-
membered that this vein lay not far
from q long railroad siding called the
Halfway Switch, In the vicinity Of Big
Pine mountain. The owners were
mountain folk Of English descent, his
fathers associate had said. Decidedly
strange. thought Dale. that his father
had never cared to investigate It.
The cindery little train reached the
long siding about the middle of a fine
spring morning. Dale took up his bag.
FASTENED ont, and soon found himself
standing alone In the heart of an ex-
tremely wild section of country.
When the noises of the little train
and the fast mail It had Just met had
died away, there came the saucy chat
terinR Of boomer-sQuirrels and the
sweet twitte-ang Of birds. Dale caught
tho Joyous spirit. He could have
fairly shouted out Of the fullness Of
his very human heart. Here all was
unspoiled and unprofaned, and some
thing whispered within him:
'Thsy won't call you a savage
here-make this your own country
From somewhere on q nearby
mOuntainside a rifles keen report split
the air; a bullet whined like n mad
hornet; Dals's hat jumped a little on
his head.
The awakening was exceedingly
rude. Dale wheeled, his gray eyes
ablaEe. and saw only n tiny cloud Of
smokemist rising from the Iaurels
more than fifty feet away.
Come out you cOwardi' he roared.
"Come out and let me see yOu," curl
osity taking the place of anger In his
voice. I've always wanted to know
Just what q real highwayman was
likei"
The muffled sound OF a twig break
ing q short distance or to his left next
claimed his attention. He was being
closely watched by n pair Of the fin
est. clearest brown eyes he had ever
seen. He saw her eyes first; he never
forgot that.
She was standing on a low cliff be-
yond the sparkling creek that flowed
SSoAoO eAAC Oaup anu EAAC was Phf~
TALLY hidden by a clump OF blooming
laurel. But Dale could see that she
was about twenty; that every line Of
her rounded, graceful figure whis-
pered Of q doelike strength; that she
was as straight as a young pine; that
her chestnut-brown hair caught the
sunlight. and that her face was oval
shaped and handsome-rather than
pretty-in spite OF its TIM.
Dale took on his hat There was
bullet hole In the very top of its high
peaked crown.
"Who's the robber?" he frowned.
The girl blushed.
"Mebbe he amt n robber," she said.
"Mebbe he thought you was somebody
else. Anyhow. you amt bad hurt. are
yef"
Dale smiled. ooh. not seriouslyI"
"YOu amt likely to be. ef ye behave
yeself."
Elf behave myself Dale
laughed. 'Why, I couldn't be naughty
II tried: I'm the one and only man.
mas little WIllie-boyI ] wonder IL I
could put up at some house near
here; chr
The might be-" she said. thought
fully.
"WhereT"
eat pap's. or grandpap's, or with
most any O. my people; or" she added
WITH contemptuous twist to her lips.
syou might stay with some o. teen
low-down Morelands."
"Where do your people live7"
-Ahout SIX mile back that way"
she pointed over her shoulder with
= forefnger.
would you mind showing me the
way 20 your parental domicileH"
whats that, 70 goodness sakeT'
your home. you know" Dale ex-
planned with q smile.
~Oh. my home. Why didn't ye say
%. then1 No. I WON'T" she declssed.
Dale put bis bag down and rested
his hands on his hips.
why. may inquirer"
Cause ] won't. ] don't never
keep comp'ny with no strange men
foIka But yander comes BY. and he'll
show ys the way; he's a-goln' over to
the settlement"
Dale faced to the right and saw,
coming toward him with steps that
wopld have measured almost four
feet. the tallest and lankiest indiyid-
ual he had ever seen outside q circus.
The newcomer had q smoothly shaver
chin. his coal-black hair was long and
his long mustsche completely hid the
narrcw slst that was his mouth. In
one hand he carried repeating rife.
"Who's thatT" Dale half whispered.
That's By Heck" answered the
girl Ehs continued In a low voice,
"His names Sam Heck; but pap. he
called him BY Heck one day. and the
nickname stuck TO him like molasses.
Everybody calls him that now. even
the reyenuerG BY, he's the biggest
eaees snd The biggest Liar, In the