The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-06-29

at his side. 1t was IOOllSH, WoIsc
than useless. to show fight; dozens
of rifles were staring at him with their
frowning, murderous 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
little kitty!"
.sIf ever have the chance" NUT
tered Bill Dale, "Tll 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
to close in on all sides, and a solid
ring of dark and for the most part
bearded, wickedly triumphant faces
formed itself around Dale. Adam
Balls father the acknowledged leader
of that band of cutthroats that was
now the Ball-Torrey faction, CARED ar
Dale with black eyes that were filled
with the fire of intense hatred; then
he seized Dale's revolver and thrust
It inside the waist-band Of bis worn
leans trousers. Dale felt the grip
of rough hands on his shoulders and
arms. He fully realized his great
danger; but he strove to keep all signs
of fear out of his countenance, and
he was not unsuccessful.
"I presume this is what you call
taking the law into your own hands,
isn't it?" he said with smile that
was forced.
ssEdzactly!' snapped old Ball. I'VE
ketched We TO- the law, and we held
We fo' the law, and we turned ye over
to the law; and EN-, by comics, the
law turned We loose the very next
day! And en the shuriff he comes
out here and arrests four O. us! Eft
the law won't try We and punish We
fo' a-shootin' my son Adam in cold
blood, by comics, We'll Try ye and
punish We fo' a-doin' it. But We
needn't be skeered none al all. We're
plumb shore to git jestice. I'll prom
Use We jestice."
"You've evidently overlooked the
fact that another man confessed to
the killing. and that that was why
| they liberated me-" said Dale.
"It's some cussed frame-up," snarled
the leader of the gang. mo man on
earth don't like no other man well
enough TO- that. Asides, you're the
one at killed my son Adam, by gon-
MES, and you're the one at must suf-
fer 70 it. Right here onder this here
warnut tree we're a-goin' to hold cote
and have yore trial, by jedge and jury,
and you'll shore git what's a-comin'
Bill Dale cut in with some bitter
ness: And you'll be the judge, and
your plans have already been laid, and
I'm to be hanged by the neck until
dead, Ell? Well, you'll pay dearly for
it, / promise you. We always have
| to pay for what we get, you know.
| The Morelands and the Littlefords will
be quick to settle the account. You
| know that"
NO" old Ball disagreed holly, Il
| don't know that =!
He turned to the others.
"Set down, boys. It's the same price
as standin'. The jury will please set
over thar" pointing to his right. "The
prisner and his guards will please set
right over thar" pointing to his left.
1.-THE hon'rable jedge, which same is
me, will please set right thar" indi-
eating SPOT at the base of the gnarled
walnut. "The rest" he finished, twill
set anywhar they On pleases. Set
down, men,"
| His orders were obeyed. Dale found
himself sitting on the ground between
two pairs of mOuntaineers and facing
line Of twelve mountaineers-the so
called jury. To his left was the self
! appointed judge, and to his right
iOunged a score or more of men whose
attention was then being turned to-
ward a jug of fiery new whisky that
had never been near to a revenue
stamp or anything else that was hon
est. The jug travelled rapidly from
one hairy mouth to another.
| Old Ball passed the jug to a mem.
Der of the "jury," and announced:
"Well, dammit, co'te's open now"
kitty, kitty, kittyl'' tainted Walt
Turner. "Pore little kitty!'
The mockery began. 1t was ridicu-
lous, and yet it was grim. Adam
| Balls father himself furnished most
/ of the evidence; also he acted as
! prosecuting attorney. OF course there
J was no counsel for the defense, and
1t wouldn't have helped if Dale had
had prOverbial Philadelphia lawyer
on the grounds; all the proof and elo-
/ quence and pleading in the world never
would have changed, in the slightest de-
gree, the sentence that had been cut and
dried for Bill Dale. The mock trial
was being held solely because the
Balls and Torreys felt that by hold
ing it they were insulting the majesty
| of the law and making their ven-
geance sweeter. 1t became worse than
travesty.
| Night fell during the wordy and
profane harangue of the Ball leader,
and 1t was ordered that fire be built