Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-08-03

surrender, or fight it out?'
you said it-well fight II out 7"
cried a burly cousin Of Black Adam
Ball, deceased.
you're onl" growled Bill Dale,
slipping his rifle out beside the tree.
"Glve ,em HI, boys %
lie was unused TO this sort of thing,
and he was incautious. He showed a
little too much Of himself-thcre was
q sudden keen report from below and
a bullet hole appeared I'M the rim Of
his hat John Moreland fired the next
shot, and he broke the right arm Of
the man who had just fred at Bill
Dale. This opened the battle In earn
est
Soon the thunder OF the many rifles
became almost n steady roar. The
air was filled with the pungent odor
of burning powder. Bill Dale emptied
the magazine Of his repeater, and
sank behind the big chestnut TO fill
It again with cartridges from his belt
Bullets now whined on both sides of
him; they cut greenish white burrows
in the bark OF both sides Of the tree,
and knocked up little spurts of black
earth TO his right and TO his left !;
they cut off twgs within an arms
reach OF him. \ dozen Balls were
now firing at him, seeking TO ayenge
the death of their kinsman, the
Goliath. John Morclapd's strong voice
came TO him through the din and roar:
Don't show no part o yoreself now,
Bill; eff We DO, yen shore be hit"
Dale fired again, pumped a fresh
cartridge into the chamber Of his rifle
and slipped another into tHe magazine,
and arose behind the chestnut
Down, Bill" cried John Moreand.
If Dale heard, he gave no sign Of
1t. He fred four shots rapidly, and
before the wind had carried away the
binding smoke he was behind another
tree and shooting toward the Balls
again. Soon there came a short, loud
peal Of laughter from his left; he
turned his head and saw Ben Little
ford taking a careful aim AZ a long
angle toward the side of a boulder.
Then Littleiord fired, ma a pun of
stone dust showed that his bullet had
gone true 10 its mark.
whats that for?" demanded Dale
I'VE haven't any ammunition to throw
away!"
"Why, Bill" replied Llttleford,
didn't ye never bounce a bullet often
rock and mako it 90 toward \ man
ahind Of a tree?"
1t lasted holly for two hours. but
the casualties were comparatively
few, because there was so much cover
available From the beginning the
Balls and The Turner'S had the worst
of it, which was due TO Uphill shoot,
ing, white whisky, AMI back Of the
iron that makes real>. fighting uelli
The cartridges Of those,@bs'oy. VI ~
giving out they had hrA too .rlags
shots needlessly. tf re.
ITS about time TO rush Gaas Iale.
said to John MoreIand, Who'Eau crebt
UP beside Him.
nodded. N'>'N' -
A few minutes later BIZ Dale sent
the wings OF his line down the noun
tainside. forming a half-circle OF his
force once more; then the whole line
rushed, surrounded the enemy and
called for n surrender. -.
But the Balls ana their kinsihen
wouldn't give in yfa IA6y EFF their
cover and started to run, fouuu ipeln-
selves facing Morelands AMI little
fords in every direction clhbbsd their
rifles and fought. It.Vas t true
courage that prompted them 20 offer
resistance thus: it was utter despera-
ton; they had never been giyers OF
mercy, therefore they did not expect
mercy. Dale's men forebore to fire
upon them, which was at Dale's com
mand, and met them with dubbed
rifles The woodland rang with the
sound Of wood and steel crashing
against wood and steel. Everywhere
there were groans and threats and
curses from the losing side, Victorious
NAAOo anu III ihNA ANlAoANS AVA q SUI
render from the winners.
Bill Dale, ever a lover OF fair COM
bat, threw down his repeater TO grap-
pie with a big North Carollnian whose
dubbed weapon had been knocked
from his hands. The two fell and
rolled down the mountalnside, locked
In each others arms.
And then one oe the Balls struck
Bill Dale across the head with the butt
OF his empty gun, and pin Dale slack
ened his arms and lay as one dead.
%
He was lying under cover in hand
carved black walnut fourposter, and
it was night, when he opened his eyes
again. Above him he saw the bearded
faces Of Ben Littleford and John
Moreland, ana they looked haggard
and anxious in the oil lamps yellow
light. Suddenly Moreland spoke:
"Dead-nothin' % jubilantly. Look,
Ben; he's done come to! Ye couldn't
put him in a cannon and shoot him
ag'inst n cliff and XIII him. Benz ]
hope we're a-feelin' all right, BIZ,
shore"
Dale realized everything quite clear