The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-08-04


into turning states evidence to save
themselves"
The major finished In low tone,
because of the probability for caves
droppers. and in this he was wise.
"Weli do that" Dale decided.
He faced Hayes, his right-hand man,
and began to give orders like vet
eran general manager. The men were
to take their rifles with them to work
In the morning, but they were to- fire
no shot unless II was In defense OF
life or property. In the morning every
available wagon In the valley was to
be sent to the little sawmill that wns
in operation ten miles toward the low.
land for more building material.
BY Heck Joined them then. He
guessed just what had happase,l,
plucked at Dale's sleeve and whis-
pered:
"Sposen ! takes sneak or two to-
ward them lowdown, walnut-eyed,
knock-kneed, dadblamed Balls and
Torreys and finds out what I can find
out; hey, Bnlr
The answer came readily: "Sure,
you be detective. But be careful that
you don't lose anything for us, y
know, II you don't gain anything"
By Heck and his rifle disappeared
In the darkness of the mountain night
A little after work-time that day,
Bill Dale started alone on the way of
the narrow-gauge railroad for the sid
ing.'He wished to see for himself just
what the damage had been to the
trestle. and he hoped to meet Goff, or
a Ball, or Torrey, and learn some
thing that would be to his advantage
Before he had covered two miles, he
had seen two Of the enemy skulking
through the woods, and he recognized
them for Torreys from Jerusalem
Cove and Hatton's He'll; he knew it
BY their very swnrthy skin their high
cheekbones and their coarse black
hair, the outcroppings Of the Cherokee
Indian blood In them. They looked
cunning and wicked. Dale ioosened
in its holster the big revolver that
Major Bradley had persuaded him to
carry for his own protection. John
Mcreland had taught him how to use
firearms.
At point near where the little
stream that flowed past the Halfway
switch emptied into Doe river. where
Doe river turned almost sQuarely to
the left, Dale halted abruptly. He had
seen man dart behind scrubby oak
some thirty yards ahead Of him quite
naturally, he concluded that the fell
low meant to wayiay him, and he. too.
stepped behind tree, big hemlock.
A silent minute went by. Then Dale
put his hat out on one side Of the tree
and peeped from the ether side; It
was an old trick that Grandpap More
land had told him about. A rife
cracked promptly and sharply, and a
bullethole appeared In the rim Of his
haiti
Following 1t, there came the coarse
bass voice Of Black Adam Ball, the
mountaineer Goliath:
"Ysu CANT fool me. Jest shot to
put hole in yore new hat and to
show we at amt no had shot You
CANT hit my hat!"
Dale's temper, the temper that had
always been so hard to keep under
control, rose quickly. He tried to rea-
son with himself, and couldn't: his
passion mastered him. He snatched
the big revolver from Its holster and
cooked It. With as steady hand as
ever held a weapon trained, he began
to take aim at Balls slouch hat, the
half Of which was In plain view at one
side Of the scrubby oak.
'T fooled you once, back there I'm
the Middle Of the river" he cried bot
ly, "and now I'm going to fool you
againi"
There was In his voice that cid, old
primitive rage, which frightened him.
and puzzled him too, In his better mo-
ments.
He let down the bead until It was
barely visible in the notch, and eased
OF the trigger. The revolver roared
and spat forth q tiny tongue Of fame
and q little cloud Of white smoke. Ball
sprang erect, wheeled, and fell crash
ing to the leavesI
| Dale dropped his weapon. He went
as white as death, and his two hands
clutched uncertainty at his throat. He
was q murderer No, he wasn't-hia
bullet had gone wild; 1t had struck
Balls head on the other side OF the
tree, by accident. But how could he
prove that It had been an accident
Would any Jury believe him2 1t was
far from probable.
| He stepped from behind the hem.
lock and went toward the writhin,
Goliath, whose legs only were Visible
now.
Then third shot rang out on the
morning stiffness. 1t had been fred
from point some little distance
away, and Dale's condition of mind al
the moment was such that he didn't
even note the direction from which
the sound had come. He was uphurt
and he had not heard the whine of q
bullet or the pattering Of shot on the
leaves. When he looked about him
he saw no enc: neither did he see any
telltaie smoke. Perhaps, he thought
dimly, II had been a squirrel-hunteI