The spectator., 1922-03-17

"'at Pm plumb fool enough to give my find away fo' nothin'? 1 been pore all O my life, mister!"
 ''How am to know" drowned Dale, that you've really got find?"
 "Ye'd believe yore own two eyes, wouldn't ye?"
 Yes" Dale agreed, 'Id believe my own two eyes, of course. Whats your name, and where are you from?" What do l git outen it? I don't own the mountain it's in, but it shore can be bought fo' fifteen cents acre. ! And nobody knows abont it but jest me. It lays closer to the railroad an this here Moreland vein, too. What do l git outen it, mister?" The mountaineer seemed more hon. est than ever, but Dale was still on his guard He asked again:
 What's your name, and where are you from?'
 This time the answer came readily: My name it's Walt Turner, and I'm from Turner's Laurel, Madison county, state O Nawth Ca'liner. But my find it ain't nowhars clost to home. Faint | no more'n about two hours O walkin' from right here, mister Elf you'd jest up and go along wi me, I'd show 1t to ye."
 Dale considered. There might be l considerable vein of this new coal. l Even if he was sent to the state peni- 1 tentiary for term of years, Hayes was entirely capable of carrying on the mining operations.
 "Td like to take my mining man, Hayes"
 No" quickly objected Walt Tur ner. II don't want nobody else to know whar it's at but jest you and me. That away, ye see, ef I'm treated crooked I'll know edZactly who done it and I'll shore git you But I heerd tell at you was pow'ful square, mis- ter"
 Gould l get back here before nisht- fan?"
 Turner's eyes lighted. "Shore v
 "Then lead the way" ordered Dale
 Walt Turner from Turner's Laurel. Madison county, state of North Caro- lima, crossed the little creek on stones and went straight to the northeast, missing the Ball settlement by good mile. and hard on his heels followed the Moreland Coal conpany's stalwart general manager.
 The way was exceedingly rough. The two men climbed rugged cliffs, 1 threaded dense thickets of great laurel. | mountain laurel, sheep laurel, and huckleberry bushes. They were one hour in a stretch of woods where the hemlocks. poplars and hickories stood so thickly that the interlacing branches overhead shut out completely the light of the sun and half the light of day. Fearing panther, or wildcat, Dale l kept his revolver loosened and ready in | its holster. Walt Turner armed him self with d long staff-for snakes, he said; and then he proved it by killing rattler that had eight rattlcs to it's tail.
 But they travelled rapidly, notwith- standing the fact that the going was difficult; and two hours after the be- ginning of the little journey Dale saw before him Il small and almost circular, level-bottomed basin walled in by low cliffs. A small creek ran through this basin and made two easy ways of en- trance. In the hollow they saw clumpS of laurel and huckleberry bushes, and wild grasses knee-high; toward the center stood q solitary big and gnarled black walnut tree.
 They entered at the point at which the creek ran in. and went to the wal nut tree. There Turner halted and faced Bill Dale with n peculiar gJlnt in his eyes. Dale was looking at the | rugged walls of stone, and at the thick green forest that rose above them; he was marveing, as only Il true lover of beauty can marvel, at the wonderful grandeur of it all. Walt Turner, of Turner's Laurel, opened his slit of mouth and spake. Here's the kitty!"
 Dale was brought out of his en- joyment most rudcly. From behind clumps of laurel and huckleberry ] everywhere-it seemed from nowhere
 there sprang dozens of Balls and Torreys with rifles in their hands {! Bin Dale had walked as gently as d kitten, straight into a trap.
 His right hand moved toward the butt of his revolver, then dropped at his side. It was foolish, worse than useless. to show fight; dozens of rifles were staring at him with their drowning. murdcrouS eyes, and their bullets would riddle him if he. showed
 fight He glanced toward Walt Tur- ner, kinsman of the Balls.
 Turner was laughing openly. Pore litile kitty"
 If ever l have the chance" nut 1 tered Bill Dale "I'll thrash you for this cute little joke of yours"
 You won't never have the chanst," | laughed Walt Turner. The Balls and the Torreys began