The spectator., 1922-02-21


 Dale was on his way to the new siding the following morning, when he met Henderson Golf. Again Dale was forcibly reminded of stories he had heard and read of Mississippi river steamboat gamblers of the long ago. Golf stepped out of the trail, smiled and spoke with apparent good humor. Dale passed him without word.
 Then the shyster coal man called out, Ready to sell yet?"
 The Moreland Coal company's( man. ager halted and faced about with puckering of his brows.
 For a fair price, yes"
 Just what would you call fair prlce?'
 "Oh, somewhere between two and three hundred thousand" promptly.
 Golf sniffed, and the corners of his mouth came down.
 sYou don't want much. You won't get it from me!'
 II don't want 1t from you"
 Dale turned and went on. He was sorry that he had stopped to talk with the fellow.
 That afternoon he again met Golf in the trail. The bare sight of the shyster made him very angry now, and his right hand fell upon the butt of the big revolver on his hip. Golf was about to sidestep in the laurels when Dale caught him roughly by the arm.
 "See here" he said sharply, you've about cut your little swath. We've had enough of you. You can't get this coal at any price, and the sooner you get yourself out of this country the better and safer it will be for you. To be plain, I'm pretty apt to thrash you the very next time 1 see you. Now move on!"
 Golf went off laughing wickedly. "Oh, all right, Dale; go ahead and build the little road for me v he said.
 Late that night every sleeper in the valley of the Doe was. awakened by great, rumbling explosion, which was followed almost immediately by an- other great, rumblng explosion. Be fore the reverberations had died away, Bill Dale had dressed himself and was standing on the vine-hung front porch, and he was only few seconds ahead of John Moreand.
 Then there came the tearing sound of heavy explosion miles to the east ward.
 Do ye know what 1t is?" inquired the mountaineer.
 They've stolen our dynamite from the tobacco-harn, and blown up the of flee and supplies building and the com missary building; also they've blown up the big tresle near the siding" Dale answered.
 Ats my guess, too,r said More land.
 Within the next half hour Dale and Hayes, Major Bradley. and the men, folk of the Morelands and the Little lords had gathered around the wreck of the two big, unfinished frame build ings. Dale blamed himself much for having left dynamite unguarded in the tobacco-barn-but nobody elpe blamed him for 1t.
 It's time to let the law in," he said when he had viewed the jumbled mass of broken blanks and timbers by the light of lanterns. He turned to stai- Wart Luke Moreland.
 You get on my horse and ride to Gainesville for the sheriff, Tell him he can get the best posse In the world right here, if he needs one. It's the proper thing. isn't 1t. major?'
 Yes" said Major Bradley. its the proper thing. You've got real griev- ance now. But fancy Goff had noth- enough to know that thing like this would cook his goose. Golf has been playing a bluff game all along, you know. Some Balls or some Torreys, perhaps mixture of both. have done this without Goff's knowing anything about 1t. I'd have Sheriff Flowers ar rest several of the Balls and several of the Torreys, and try 10 scare them into turning states evidence to save themselves"
 The major finished In low tone, because of the probability for caves troopers, and in this he was wise.
 wen do that" Dale decided.
 He faced Hayes. his right-hand man. and began to give orders like vet eran general manager. The men were to take their rifles with them to work In the morning, but they were to fire no shot unless it was in defense of life or property. In the morning every available wagon in the valley was to be sent to the little sawmill that was in operation ten miles toward the low land for more building material.
 By Heck joined them then. He guessed just what had happened plucked at Dales sleeve and whis pered:
 "Sposen I takes sneak or two to- ward them lowdown, walnut-eyed, knock-kneed, dadblamed Balls and Torreys and finds out what can find out; hey, Bill?"