The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-03

always called me that, and It made
! me feel like a man. Then put my
bag down and took him by both shout
/ ders and told him, this:
! "Look here, Bobby, I'm going tc
! give you some advice, and you take
it. You steal Pat and marry her. Steal
! Pat and marry her if you have to live
in hole in hillside. You're as good
as any of them, and lots better than
most Of them. You can work your way
to a better salary. You see,', I told
him, we get about what we deserve
in this world, Most Of US don't deserve
much, =, .,,E,., - (: {:
II asked him If mother was badly
i cut up. He said she was that she had
tainted. Dad swore aloud, he said
! there in church. I told Bobby good-by
I and got aboard the train without say.
/ ing anything about where I was go.
! ing-but I didn't know myself where
l was going, ut the time. .'-r q,
"Now you've heard it. Every word
was truth. If you'll trust me with the
coal, I'll make this land my land, your
people my people. I'll suffer with you
when You suffer, and be happy with
| you when you're happy; and when you
fight, I'll fight with you.:'
The A'oreland chief arose, and Bill
Dale arose. The hillman put out his
hand, and Dale gripped It., -, .
Il believe in We, Bill" said John
Moreland. "Fo' another thing, I've
seed ye fight. You can work the coal"
He looked toward the closed inner
door and called, "Oh, Addie; you and
the boys can come back now" WI I.
Out of the night a face appeared at
one Of the small windows. 1t was a
feminine face and handsome rather
than pretty. Two slender sunburned
hands gripped the window-ledge nerv-
.ously. The face pressed closer to the
glass, then disappeared Soon after.
ward the outer door Of the guests
room opened, and Ben Litleford's
daughter entered. Her skirts were
dripping wet. - 49,. ' r.. -.
Mrs. Moreland arose and went to-
ward the young, woman. She knew
that only something Of great impor:
lance could bring a Littleford into her
home In this fashion. Y r.
"What's the matter, Babe?"
Babe Littleford gave no attention
to Mrs. Moreland. She went on to
Bill Dale, walking softly on bare feet
BLACK Adam is a-goin' to kill you
tonight, Bill Dale ~ -. y
'That SOP" Dale's smile was rather
grim. "How did you find that out,
Miss Littleford?" ne: ,..., ..-
II found it ont, all right. AS he
went Off from the river this mornin,
I made fun Of him and he patted thu
stock of his rifle and said he'd git you
through q Window! He was at our
house this evenin' to help fix pap's
gun, and when he left he started this
way, a-goin' by the blowed-down syca-
more. waded the river at Blue Cat
shoals to beat him here. thought you
might want to know about it, SOS ye
could mebbe save other folks the trou-
BILE o. maxim funeral TO-, ye."
II She backed toward the door, her
eyes never leaving Dale's face. Another
second, and she was gone.
They were: all on their feet now.
John Moreland gripped Dale's arm.
= "Over thar aside O. the chimbley,
Bill" he ordered, his native drawl for
the moment absent. "Out, Addie,
honey! Luke, bring my rifle and hat
jump keen! Gale. bring water and
drownd this here fire!" >
It was done. Moreland took his hat
and the repeater and went alone into
the night. - = -. ~. .
When some fifteen minutes had
passed, there came to Dale's ears the
sound of shooting. There, were ten
shots in such rapid succession that they
made almost a continuous roar. Then
came echoes and reverberations, and
then silence. Soon John Moreland let
himself into the dark room.
His wife's voice was low and filed
with anxiety: -
"What happened, John?"
A dull thud came through the dark
ness as her husbands rifle.butt struck
the floor. 's'@s - @
"This is what happened, Addie: AS
I passed the. cawner q the house, got
down that thar old oxwhip to take
along. went acrost the road and into
the meadow, and thar seen Adam
Ball a-comin'. I hid, and when Adam
was about to pass ME, I jumped up
and jerked his. rifle, from him and
busted it ag'in rock. Then / lights
in and thrashes him with the oxwhip
ontel he broke and run. And ZEN this
here happened, ,Addie: L.. o. ... .,
II was a-watchin' to- see eff Adam
had RELY went off, when I seed a maj,
a-comin' toward me fast. I thought
it was, Ball. o. course. So up and
tells him to show me how fast he can
run and commences a-shootin' over
his head to skeer him. But it didn't
happen to be Adam Ball--it was Ben
Littleford! He was a.follerin' Babe
to see what she was up to. o. course"
"How do.ye know it was Ben, papa"
Caleb asked. ... r." & :-...a
"How do know?" growled John
Moreland. "When got through a
..,,oot;ps ho bolloro n + mo md cove.