The spectator., 1922-01-24

upon reaching the shelter of the trees that lined the banks Of the river with out being seen. The stream here was more than fifty yards wide; this was Blue Cat shoals. The two lines or trees stood back a rod or so from the water, making the final shooting dis tance some seventy yards.
 Drawled Heck: Les set down here and watch it; hey?" Dale was silent The very air was filled with the spirit of tragedy. The faroff tinkle of cowbell seemed tragic; tragic, too, sounded the song 1 of bird somewhere in the tree 1 branches overhead. Did ye hear me, Bill?" s""l think" Dale muttered, that I'd better not go away until tomorrow. l can't leave matters like this. Do you know of any way to stop that down therew
 l By Heck shrugged his shoulders. Do you know O any way to stop the risin' and settin' O the sunf" he l grinned.
 They went back to John Noreland's cabin.
 
 It was altogether by accident that the Littleford chief found his weapons. He had dropped q small coin through ! a crack in the floor. Babe was quick to say that she would crawl under the | house and look for the coin, although she had just put on freshly laun- dered blues -andwhite calico dress. Her anxiety showed plainly in her face. Her father questioned her sharply, and she stammered in spite of herself. Ben l Littleford'S suspicious were aroused. So he came out from under the cabin floor with his hands full of the steei of rifle barrels, and with the money forgotten. lie placed the rifles care fully on the floor of the porch. turned and caught his daughter by the arm.
 "Who hid 'em?" he demanded grutlly.
 'l hid 'em." was the ready answer, 1 defiant and bitter-"I, mel What're you a-gon' to do about it?'
 Litteford flung his daughter's arm from him. He was king. even as John 1 NkPi t'alllNA vas hihS. hAiS httI NsNN stared at the young womans face as though they would Wither it.
 What made you hide 'em?" he growled. Say, what made ye do it?'
 "'fo try and save human lives. ats why!' Babe answered. That man from the ci;y-what'u he think Q us a-doln' this-away, a-tshtin' like crazy wildcats?n
 "lsf he don't like the way we do here, he can go back home, retortci the angry mountaineer "Ile aint tied, is h.l"
 Babe smiled a smile that was some how piiiful. and turned of.
 .'The' ain't no use in a-argyin with you. pap" she said hopelessly. "I--i might nigh wisht 1 was dead"
 At that instant the gate creaked open. Bahe glanced toward il and saw coming that black beast of man, Adam Ball the Goliath. and he was armed heavily; in one hand he carried a new high-power repeating rifle. and around his great waist there was new belt bristling with long, bright smokeless cartridges fitted with steel jackcted bullets.
 
 When Dale and his companion reached the cabin, Addie Morelund met them. Anxiety was breaking her ! heart.
 MT. Dale" she pleaded. "I want you to go down thar to the river and see of thc's anything ye can do To stop bold in the open and ye won't be shot at, and I'll be obleeged to ye Oh, know the aint but one chalst in ten thousand, but I'm a-prayin' yell strike that one chanst.'
 Dale knew that he could do nothing toward bringing peace, and he knew ! thut John Moreland would be angry at his interfering. But he nodded and went toward the river. He didn't have the heart in him to refuse. e Theu there came tho keen thunder of | rifle shot.
 Dale halted for moment. Between two sycamores on the nearer side Of the river he saw a puff of smoke ris- ing la2ily from behind Il water oak on the farther side; Littleford had fired first. Dale went on, moving rapidly and trying to keep himself always in plain view.