The Belding banner-news., 1922-01-11
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Last FIGHT.

hS GoSt F'SHbs
II was early in the morning. and
Bill Dale had just sent for Ben Little
ford. The hillmun lslrried To the Of
flee, for he believed he knew what
was i'm the air. He had already gone
10 work ut the mine. and his thick
beard, his face and his hands were
black with the dust of coal.
"Sit down, Ben said the general
manager. Were going 10 hold
council of war
Littleford took chair and crossed
his legs
as il the Ball OUTFIT lie drawled.
Yes" answered the younger man,
and forthwith he told the other of the
news thai by Heck had brought aim
a few days before; he had not given
The matter really serious considera
zion until that morning. Now" he
finished. IL want 10 know whether you
think there's any dangerf"
Littleford tugged at his hlackened
beard and frowned
BILL he said soberly, edo you
rickollect what John Moreland told
you oncet about them Balls? He told
We at you wasn't safe, and at he
wasn't safe, ontel they was dead and
buried, didn't he? | believe he did
BY Heck says the's Il whole big passel
a. them Nawth Ca'liner Turner's; he's
shore them and the Balls1l outnum-
ber us more'n two To one. Yes. the's
danger, Bill, and specially TO you.
They think ii was you killed Adam
and they don't think the law handed
'em a square deal at the trial
Then listen 10 this plan" said
Dale.
"IIl keep BY Heck up the river
watching for them. He will have
three sticks of dynamite tied together
and capped and fitted with Il fuse. If
he sees them coming ibis way in any
thing like a force, he will fire of the
dynamite rs a signal TO us. our men
will gather here in The upstairs of this
building, and bar the doors
"Oh, BiII,' moaned the old fighter,
"you shorely don't think we'd ever let
'em git To the doors -
Il hope they don't, certainly"
smiled Dale. where are your rifles,
BiIl?"
at the mine" said Littleford "Ye
see, Bill, we've been a-loolin' 70
trouble"
Dale went on: AT BY Heck's sig
nal, I'll get on my horse and ride to
the lowlands for the Morelands. | can
] Ixt tho, \
competent help from the law. What
do you think of it?'
Its good plan, ! reckon, ="
growled Ben Littleford, "only don't
cotton very easy to the idee a us
a-runnin from the mine TO this here
buildin'. never did like TO run from
any man wO'th a durn, Bill"
"But that wouldn't be cowardly," "
Dale protested. 1T would be purely
a strategic move, and II would save
lives for us. For. when the Balls and
their kinsmen cone, you'll have TO de-
liver me into their hands or you'll
have 10 fight like the very devil, that's
sure; and, according to BY Heck's fig
ures, they outnumber you more than
two to one"
"All right" Littleford replied, with
shrug of his huge shoulders. what.
ever you say, that same We'll do"
So BY Heck was sent for, and short.
ly afterward he sneaked into the lau.
rels and went off toward the settle
ment Of the Balls. In the crook of his
arm he carried his rifle, and inside his
shirt he carried three pieces of dyna.
chose every step with great care for
fear Of jarring the explosive too much
He had not been gone an hour when
Bill Dale heard dull, smothered roar
from somewhere TO the n0rthward
Dale sprang up from his desk, ran tc
his ready and waiting horse, mounted
and rode like streak toward the
! lowland.
Dale arrived at John Moreland's big
white farmhouse little before the
! middle Of the day, and halloed lustil,
! at the gate. John Moreland and hi,
! two sons hurried out In response q
! the call. Dale waved aside all greet
! ings and inquiries after his health
! and told that which he had come Il
! tell. The elder Moreland turned quick
! iy 10 his two stalwart sons
! "Guns and hosses, boys! It'll b.
/ our last fight, and les be at II ant
1 make II a good fight"
Less than FIVE minutes later th'
/ three erstwhile mountaineers rode ou
M fha ha rnvo "a 0ato NTH full helts O