The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-22


mite all ready for the match-and he
chose every step with great care for
fear Of jarring the explosive too much.
He had not been gone an hour when
Bill Dale heard a dull, smothered roar
from somewhere: to the northward.
Dale sprang up from his desk, ran to
his ready and waiting horse, mounted
and rode like a streak toward the
lowland -
Dale arrived at John Moreland's big
white farmhouse little before the
middle of the day, and halloed Justify
at the gate. John MOre1and and his
two sons hurried out in response to-
the call. Dale waved aside all greet
inss and inquiries after his health,
and told that which he had come to
tell. The elder Moreland turned quick
ly to his two stalWart soDs-
"Guns and bosses, boys! It'll be
our last fight, and les be Mt it and
make it good fight"
Less than five: minutes later the
three erstwhile mountaineers rode out
at the barIyard gate with full belts of
cartridges around their waists and
with repeating, rifles across the POM
mels OF their saddles, and joined
Dale. The four FASTENED to the homes
of the other Morelands; and not long
lfterward the. old clan, in full
strength, rode toward the big, DIM
blue hills with Bill Dale acting as its
leader. 1t was to be the clans last
fight, and fight for good cause,
and every man Of it was eager for
the fray. o.. =.
Bill Dale bore himself proudly, and
he rode like Il man born to the sad
die. lie found-ca queer joy-a joy
that brighteneG his steel-grey eyes
and flushed his sunburned cheeks, a
joy that he didn't even attempt to
understanding the thought:
For this one day I am clan. chief;
I am leading my own people against
q foe, in my own country" :.
And so overwhelmingly did the idea
take hold OF hina that he wished, even
then, for the repeater that awaited
him at his office back in the heart Of
the mountains. Once his conscience
asked him question-and he an
swered it with another question. Was
he doing that which was right? Might
not the Littlefords all be killed by
those drunken cutthroats while he
was waiting for the arrival of a COM
pany Of militia from a city miles dis
tant?
Anyway, the militia would fight. His
clan would do no more than that. He
satisfied his conscience quickly.
When they had reached the lower
end of the cleared valley, there came
to them the sounds Of slow firing, the
firing of snipers. Each man kicked
his horses tanks and rode faster.
When they came in sight of the be-
sieged building, they saw puffs Of pow
der-smoke rising lazily from the upper
windows and from the mountain side
above and to the right. Again they
kicked the TANKS of their horses and
rode faster.
~
diSnl0unted hastily and turned their
horses into the drab meadow. With
Dale still leading, they hurried on foot
to the rivers nearest bank and went
rapidly, under cover Of the thickly-
standing sycamores, to point within
seventy yards Of the Office and sup
plies building. Then they made dash
across the open space, and Ben Lit
tleford, with one arm bound up in a
red-stained blue bandana, opened the
door for them. p.
"Who else is hurt?" painted Dale,
=. Little, Tom,'' answered Littleford.
"and Saul Little Tom, he got a bull
let onder the shoulder. Saul, he got
one in might nigh the same place.
They've riddled the whole t'other
side o the house to splinters. They're
a-callin' fo' you" 49,
They'll get all they want Of me-"
Dale srowled.
/ He turned and ran up the rough
stairway, and Zen Littleford and the
AlOrelalids followed close upon his
heels. At the front and side windows,
behind anything they had been able
TO find that would stop a bullet, k1elt
,-Iittlefords Will, rifles in their hands,
patiently watching for 4 human target
to appear on the mountainside above.
Saul and Little Tom lay in corner,
where they were fairly safe from
chance bullets. Hayes had bound up
their wounds as we'll as he could with
& the material at hand. They were
both white and helpless and suffering.
but still full Of the old Littleford
fighting spirit.
Dale seized his Winchester and
belt Of cartridges from the hands OF
the man who had brought them to
him, and turned to the others. A bull
let crashed through the wall and
struck the floor at his foot; he paid
no attention to it. f..
Listen 10 me, boys" Dale was
buckling his cartridge-belt with rapid,
steady fingers. "From where they are
hiding, the Balls and Turner's can
hardly see the lower story Of this