American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1922-01-20

tnrougn nair q dozen coal strikes l
think you may count on me, Mr.. Dale"
"Then lay out a plan for Immedi-
ate action"
"Pd suggest" acquiesced Hayes,
that we send to the little town in
the lowland for a supply of picks ana
shovels, axes and saws, hammers.
drills. and explosives. In the mean
time, you and l can stake out the
way for the track"
1t sounded businesslike, Dale
thought.
Within the hour John Moreland and
his son Caleb started for Gainesville
on foot, and in the older mans pocket
was money sufficient to buy the things
that were needed.
Dale and Hayes set out for the north
end of David Moreland's mountain,
and each of them carried a hand-ax
for making stakes.
1t was not often that the quiet Hayes
permitted himself to go into raptures
over anything; however, he went in
to raptures over the Moreland coal.
1t was, he declared, one of the best
propositions he had ever seen. 1t
was nc wonder that Henderson Golf
was determined to get possession of
it, he said.
Then they went to work.
BY shutdown two days later they had
chosen the route for the narrow-gauge
railroad and set stakes accordingly.
Hayes told his general manager that
with a good force of men the last rail
could be put down within two months.
During those two days they had
several times seen Henderson Golf in
company with Black Adam Ball and
Some Of his relatives. Once they had
come upon Goff talking earnestly with
Saul Littleford, the big, bearded, gaunt
brother of the Littleford chief. Hayes
reminded Dale of this, and said to
him further:
"Goff Will have the Littlefords on
his side the first thing you knowI
as some of the Balls, knew about this
coal before David Moreland got his
mountain by states grant at a few cents
per acre. Ii you'll take my advice, Mr..
Dale, you'll make friends of these two
sets just as quick as you can"
Dale thrust his hand-ax inside his
belt and turned to the mining expert.
"D'you know, l was thinking of that
same thing when you spoke" he re-
piled. 'And | believe l can manage it,
now that Miss Littleford's accidental
wounding has given the old feud such
a big blow. I'm fairly sure l can man
age it so far as Ben Littleford is con-
cerned; It's John that's going to be
hard to bring to taw. He should be
home this evening, If he's had good
luck, and I'll tackle him as soon as he
comes"
Together they started across David
Moreland's mountain, walking rapidly,
with Dale leading.
Darkness came down on them when
they had covered half the distance.
The great hemlocks and poplars
doomed spectral and gaunt in the early
starlight. The almost impenetrable
thickets of laurel and ivy whispered
uncanny things, and their seas of pink
and snowy bloom looked somehow
ghOstly. Now and then there was the
pattering of some little animals feet
on the dry, hard leaves of bygone
years. A solitary brown owl poured
out its heart in weird and melancholy
cries to the night it loved. There was
the faint, far-ofr baying of a hound,
md Nb, uoFN guufCh 90 N nfuhfho w HIG
wings.
Men from the core of civilization
must feel these things of the wilder
ness. .
Suddenly Dale drew back and stood
still. In the trail ahead, standing as
motionless as the trees about him, was
the tall figure of a man. 1t was almost
as though he were there to bar the
way.
The two went IN slowly. The figure
didn't move. Dale spoke, and the form
came to life. 1t was BY Heck he was
leaning IN the muzzle of his rifle.
Its you, is it, Bill, old boyT" he
yawned sluggishly. II was a-waitin'
here TO- you. | reckon l must ha'
went to sleep a-standin' here on my
feet I've got news, BILL"
"Out with It."
"I've been a-trailin' Henderson Con
all day." Heck said in guarded tones.
He's shore got them lowdown Balls
to believin' they're already million
hairs"
II knew that" said Dale. THAT'S
o news"
HBut that amt ALL" By Heck went
on. "Gofr's got Saul LittlefOrd, too
lock, stock, BARI and sights. He owns
Saul jest the same as 1 own my old
spotted coon dawg Dime. Saul he
gifts him a job a-bein' mine boss, and
what other Littlefords at will stick
gifts Jobs a-diggin' the black di'mont at
two dollars a day. Asides, all of 'em
is to have a big lot o. money when
the dividin'-up time comes, says Con-"
"Much obliged to you, By" Dale ac-
knowledged. Let's go; bout face,
Byl I'm goin' to tie a hard knot in
that VillainOuS game of Henderson