Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-05-25

and somebody else, haven't the
slightest idea who, fired the other
shot"
Jaw, shet upl Ye can tell 1t at the
trial" growled old Ball. Then TO his
knSmen.
We'll hold Dale right here, boys,
ontel the shurif he's sent after comes.
And Wen not move Adam, which same
is accordin' to law. / reckon Shuriff
Tom Flowers'll find a different job
from what he expected to find; won't
he, boys? Say, wisht one o. you
fellers'd gi' me good, big chaw O.
tobacker. BE burned eff l don't. Adams
death, it has made me feel sort o.
bad, by comics, and tobacker's allus
consolation
'Bill Dale, you haln't got a chaw o.
tobacker on ye, have ye-bought to-
hacker, store tobacker? It's burned
sight better'n homemade, l says. Ye
say ye don't chew! Chew-h-l |!
Whyn't We say 'chaw, like a man! l
alluS knowed We wasn't no count no
how. Nobody at don't chaw tobacker
amt no count. e. All right, jim
Ike" TO his nephew, "Ill take chaw
o yores, then. And I'll take tol'ably
big chaw, Jim Ike, cause Adams
death has made me feel sort o. bad,
and tobacker's allus a consolation"
The sounds of the shooting had car
ried far, and 1t wasn't long until the
scene of the tragedy was crowded with
Balls and Torreys, Littlefords and
Morelands. Major Bradley and Hayes,
too, were there. Every man of them
was armed; a very little thing might
easily turn the place into shambles.
The major saw this, and he was
afraid. He drew the leaders of the
Morelands and the Lttlefords aside,
and finally prevailed upon them TO do
their utmost toward keeping peace I'M
til the coming of the sheriff.
At first John Moreland and Ben Lit
tleford were for taking Bill Dale from
the Balls and TOrreys who guarded
him, If they had to depopulate the
whole Ball settlement, Jerusalem Cove
aud Hatton's Hell to accomplish it
Happily, the majors counsel prevailed.
Sheriff Tom Flowers was a tall and
1.-THE, smooth-faced man. lie arrived
with Luke Moreland at noon, after
hours of hard riding. He saw the high
tension, and Immediately steeled him
self TO handle the situation. After
riding straight 10 the center of the
gathering and there hating his horse,
he said evenly:
'In order that l may know who to
arrest, | must know something Of the
circumstances. Only one man must
speak at a time. No playing bad with
me; and remember that, gentlemen.
I'll certainly drop the fellow who
starts playing boss with me, if it's the
last move | make on earth. Now some
body gently use his powers of speech"
Major Bradley, more soldierlike than
ever, went forward. AS the attorney
of Mr.. Dale, who stands accused Of
killing Adam Ball" he said to the Of
ficer, II beg leave TO state that my
client will do no talking at present"
Dale understood, and he did not
open his mouth.
But old Ball had something to say,
and he proceeded TO say it:
He killed my son, ADAM" pointing
20 Dale, "in cold blood. Me ana about
a dozen o my kin was on our way
over Long ridge TO look at bee tree
when we heered three pistol shots We
was right up thar" pointing to the
northward. and we come a-runnin
over here to see, by comics, what was
the matter. Well, by comics, we found
Bill Dale thar down on his knees
aside o. my son, Adam, who was as
dead as HI or deader; and Bill Dale
was a-sobbin and a-sobbn' about it.
And eff he never killed my son Adam,
what was he a-sobbin and a-sobbin'
about, l AK you that? And my son
Adam, he had a rifle, by comics, but
he never shot none at all. He was
with us up to few minutes before, and
he hadn't shot none all mornin'.
Shurift Flowers, wisht yed gi' me a
good, big chaw O. tobacker, by gon-
MES, cause my son Adam his death
1t has made me feel bad"
Major Bradley stopped caressing his
well-kept gray imperial, walked over to
the dead mans rifle, picked it up and
put its muzzle to his nose. He scented
fresh powder-smoke. Then he faced
old Ball with a strange. hard glitter
in his blue eyes.
you are liar, sir" he said with a
peculiar politeness.
A stir ran quickly over the Balls
and Torreys. Sheriff Flowers called
out:
Quiet, there I" and there was quiet.
He continued: where is Mr.. Dates
revolvcr?"
The Balls had 1t. They produced it.
1t had three empty chambers when
1t should have had but one.
"Pass it to me butt first" ordered
the laws representative. He knew
that many a man had been shot while
taking a revolver barrel first, and he
was taking no chances.
to the officer and replied with grave
courtesy:
Believe me- sir" with the very
faintest trace of a smile, II am very
much obliged to you"
I nj. NfnroI,AJ LII olooly