The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-15

your man Hayes orders to carry the
work right along as though nothing
had happened, didn't you? And the
sheriff is to SO back the day after to-
morrow to arrest two or three Balls
and two or three Torreys, to see what
he can find out concerning the dyna-
hitting, Of the two buildings and the
trestle-today was not good time, to
make the arrests. Am I correct?'
Correct" nodded Dale. " ..a1 49,
Bradley regarded his cigar thought
fully. /, a. ..ass [.f ~ .s,.,,
"Now," he said in a low tone, sud
denly lifting his gaze to the others
face, tell. me about the thing that
brought you here. Don't omit even the
slightest detail. Nobody can overhear
you If you will hold your voice down.
These walls are very thick, you see.
Well, You may begin"
In carefully guarded tones, Bill
Dale gave u straightforward account
of the whole unfortunate occurrence,
The major listened intently to every
word of 1t, SO intently that he allowed
his cigar to 60 out. Often he stopped
his client and asked him to repeat GER
tain portions Of the story in order
that he might be doubly sure of a
point.
AS Major Bradley rose to ask the
jailer to come and let him out, Dale
| muttered downheartedly: ",
''Tell me, major: what do you think
of my case? It. looks rather bad,
doesn't it?'' 4. .' d., . -.
| Not bad enough to warrant your
! feeling blue over it, my boy!' said
Bradley, showing his polished. white
teeth in smile that was meant to be
reassurins. II think Wen get you out
of it. Anyway. don't worry about it
Worry will kill cat, they sayI You
didn't kill Adam Ball. John Moreland
| lad taught you how to shoot pretty
; we'll; and If you took even half as
careful an aim as you think you did,
you couldn't have missed Balls hat by
: SO much. - =. -. -.~
| Il have an idea, Dale" he resumed,
"that If we knew who fired that third
| shot we'd know who did for Ball. It
| might have been done in order to save
you. Ball was noted, I understand, as
an unfair and tricky fighter. He might
have been trying to trick you when
he rose and fell grooming. Perhaps he
meant to draw you into the open, that
he might have clean shot ut you.
! Eh?" =.
! Dale shook his head goomily.
| Hardly plausible, major. In that
event there was nothing against the
man whose bullet finished Ball, be-
, cause he did it to save me; and he
would have owned to 1t and prevented
my arrest. A man who liked me we'll
! enough to kill. Ball to save my life
would like me we'll enough to confess
and save me from suffering for 1t. l
| am sure Of that, major"
"Ah, my, boy" smiled the older Of
the two, lyon don't yet know the noun
tain heart. Jail is a terrible thing to
the liberty-loving mountaineer. But
love Of you, and love Of falr-dealing,
will soon overcome the fear of Jail,
and you will be freed-if what i
strongly suspect proves to be we'll
founded. I'll leave you now, Dale. I'll
see you in the morning, sir. Good
night" T.. ~.
When bis optimistic attorney had
gone, Dale glanced once more at the
to him miserable line from Dante's
Inferno" and began to remove his
outer clothing preparatory to going to
bed. He did not feel anything like SO
confident concerning the outcome Of
his trial as Major Bradley evidently
felt. Then he became even more
detected, and he told himself that the
major had spoken so reassuringly
merely to help him keep up heart.
The night passed, and another bright
summer day dawned, and in the Car
tersville Jail there was one prisoner
who had not; slept at all. Each OF
those long and heavy black hours had
been an age to this prisoner to whom
jail was so new.
At noon a furious windstorm, &C
companied iby much vivid lightning
and binding: rain, sprang out OF the
west and began to sweep the country
side and out of the lowering wet gloom
there came; one to deliver Bill Dale.
He was mt,untaineer, young and stall
wart and strong. and abont him there
was much a. that certain English fine,
ness that Was so striking IN his father
He entered the low. square building
Of brick ana stone and stopped in the
center Of the corridor. where lie stood
while water ran from his wet Clothing
and gathered In little pools at his feet
and looked to his right and to his left
Dale saw him, and cried out in sur
prise: FL =
"Caleb!" Ia +. y .. -.
Caleb 1lcreland walked straight, hi
head up and his shoulders back,
splendid picture Of virile young man
hood, to the end Of the corridor. III
crippled two of the doors hated bars
bars that had long been worn smooth
by othel: human hands; he pressed nj
smoothly shaVen, sunburned 1ac'
against the iron, mnd smiled. 49,
How are ye a-1helin' by this time
: - sx<>"fAs fr,y