American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1922-02-24
Illustrations By
Is.4viHs Myers e

Ine SINISTER coal man leaned around
the tree to the left. In the glow of
the low-burned fire the blade Of a
small knife in his hand cleaned dull
red. He whispered cautiously:
you're In a fix, Dale. And it's
none of my doing, either. Give me
your word that I'll get that coal prop
erty for fifteen thousand, and I'll slash
the rope. How about it2 Sick of
this country, aren't your"
There came a few seconds Of silence
save for the lusty snoring of the sleep
ers and the musical tinkle of the little
creek, after which Golf muttered dis
appolntedly:
well. then, hangi"
And Heck knew that Dale had re-
fused to sell the Moreland coal for a
song sven to save his life. AS Con
stepped backward. the muzzle Of the
tall hillman's rife went against the
small of his back, and the tall hillman
whispered hOarsely, through teeth
tightly clenched:
"Slash 'at rope. On yore s@ulI
Slash at rope, or l wisht I may drap
dead eff l don't shoot yore backbone
into four thousand pieces, igodi Slash
ftp
Cor Strengthened in surprise. The
rifles muzzle went harder against his
back and he knew 1t for exactly what
1t was. He moved a hand upward.
then downward and the Gotten rope
was severed In half a dozen places.
"Stiddy thar, nowl" whispered By
Heck, and he began to back away.
"Come along wi me, ye ~dadslatted.
banjer-bellied skunk. Bill he'll foller."
The three OF them hurried into the
deeper shadows. Soon Heck halted
Cor and turned to Dale.
"S'arch him f0 a gun. Bill, old boy"
Dale lifted from Henderson Gof's
right-hand coat-pocket a blued and
stub-nosed magazine pistol.
"Dang my eyes and blast my fer
rardl" Heck exclaimed In a muE1ed
voice. "He's plumb death on them
little popguns, amt heH Say, Coz,
ef ever ye shoots me with a thing Like
that and / End II cut, DANCED az I don't
spank we ontea yOre nose bieods; Now,
les go. you'uns. And eff ye jest cheep
out a Noise. Mister Goff, the buzzards
will pick the meat often yore bones
afore tOmorreF night"
Move. shyster" frowned Bill
Dale.
By BECK led the way to the line Of
ciifs TO the westward. They had
climbed the rugged wall and were
about 20 set out through the pftchy
dark woodland, when a voice that
they knew well hailed them softly
from the laurels 10 their left:
'Hold ON, tharl'
"John Moreland, by Jiggersl" NUT
tered Heck.
Moreland fastened soundlessly to
them. II reckon We didn't mean no
harm, BY" he said in tones that ex-
pressed a deep regret, "but yit I shore
wisht ye hadn't ha' done It"
Samuel Heck vas very proud OF
himself. He Strengthened there in the
darkness.
-Whatin the name O. ths dsvii makes
ye wiSht sech a thing as that, Jehnr'
he demanded in . half angry voice.
cause" grewicd tina BIG hiilman,
you went and spilled h[ eat o the
main big picnic. We msan to wipe
eat all q them thar lewdswn BalLa
and Torreys, BY. When rhes ~ to
hang Bill Dale IN the moFnin', we'd ha'
had a good reasen fs' a-kiliin' 'em every
oae-the weaseIsl Ys see. BY, evsry
mar Moreland but Caleb, and every
o. the L~ttieferds, is hid here ia
these laurelS, and has bean syer sense
that thar food trial begun. We was
tost a-waltn'. HOw did we happea
10 know lit
"'Ats easy, By. Me a@a Ben Lit
Aef0rd was en- our way after mere
dynamite, when We seed Bn Dais
a-folIerin' that stranger naan, and 0eG
afolIerin' Bill. and yeu a-fellsrin' Gen.
We knowed somethfn' sngedly mean
was In the wind. SO | eelisred ysu.
By, a-breakIn' OF bushes as ! went
to mark the trail, and Ben he went
back and got the rest OF 'em and fol
Tered me-"
Then to Dale, swell, Bill, what'rs
we a-goIn' to do with this here cussed
p0lecdt domr
Dale turned to the shyster coal man.
whs was stu being closely watched
by Heck.
II told you / was pretty apt to
thrash you the e time we met.
didn't Ir' clipped Dale. do you want
to get out Of this country for good,
or do you want to fight me to a I'm
ish7 I'm through talking right now,
Gof."
'Td guess ia rather fade" aeknowl
edged Coz.
ssThen fadef"
Con skunk on through the brush.
when they had covered a mile. Jshn
MoreIand grasped Dale by IN arm and
said 10 him.:
I'll reckon you think we're sort y blood.
thirsty, by us a-waitn' 10 kin OF that
naek hack thar. don't ya7 Well. we