The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-04

~ and-it seemed to him--asininely.
ut must ha' been the Littlefords,
guess" frowned Moreland. 40 be-
cause who else would ha' done it? But
to save the life O. me l CANT see how
they got in and took my rifle without
wakin' me up, Bill Dale. l slept twicct
Us light as Il sick mouse"
Within ten more minutes, every man
Of the MoreIands was gathered there
at the house of their chief-and every
man of them had lost their wedpons
during the night! 90 <.s%'a%:E.* + =
John Moreland called Dale aside
and said to him: ..t%1a-:,.
"YOn're high on the good side q
them thar trifiin' Hecks, and, so fer
as they know, You amt interested in
the feud. l wisht you'd 20 down thar
and see By and his mother. and see
CT We can find out whar our rifles
went" '.'~4.~ ~
When Dale had gone off down the
dusty oxwagon road, Caleb AIoreiand
| climbed 4 tall ash that grew behind
his fathers cabin: and kept a watch
toward the Lit,leford side of the river.
He saw group of men standing in
Ben Littteford's cabin yard, and moth
ing else. ~ ~.
\ little more than n quarter OF an
hour after Dale left John Moreland
he entered by the gateless gateway at
the cabin OF the Hecks. 1t was n di-
lapidated place, and it stood not far
from the river, BY sat In the front
doorway; he was lazily cutting a new
midday sun mark in the place Of the
worn old one.r Behind him sat his
mother, who was busily knitting a,
gray yarn stocking. - '--
The lnoonshiner looked up and start
ed quickly to his feet.
"Hl, thar, Bill, old boy!' he greeted
cordially. My gosh, but ye'vc come
at the right time, shore. We're a-goin
to haze young squirrels To- dinner, am
a billed hamshank with string beans
| and cawnbread made with the yelle'
O hen :aigs. Live whilst We do live
says L. Come right in, Bill, old boy.
LA, In, lar cried Granny Heck
looking over the brass rims of her
spectacles. How glad 1 am to see ye
Mr.. Bill! Come right in and tell us
the news"
Bill Dale crossed the threshold and
accepted creaking chair. His eyes
took in at a sweeping glance the home
made dining table with its cover OF red
oilcloth, the broken cast-iron stove, the
strings Of dried. peppers hanging Oh
the log walls, the broken stillworln
lying in the corner. r. rye
"rhe Littlefords," said Dale, "have
declared war;" 3;'<EE III 49, 49,.
"Sakes!" laughed the old woman
I'VE knowed that last night when we
heered them ten Shots"
And all the Moreland rifles are
missing" Dale watched the effect OF
his words. u ~
"Nhat!" the Hecks cried in one
voice. vs.. -
Their surprise seemed genuine
Dale pressed the subject further and
learned only that ii they knew any
thing concerning the disappearance
OF the rifles they were not going to
tell. Then he started homeward by way
OF the pool above the downtown syc'
amore. -f:...~f-.' ".,.5' 4 d.
There was chance that Ben Little
ford's daughter would be there fishing,
Dale told himself, and it was barely
possible that she could throw some
light on the mystery Of the rifles.
He crossed tile river by means OF
the PROSTATE tree. Babe was there,
she sat on the stone on which she had
been sitting the. morning before; her
back was to him, and her bare feet
were in the water to her ankles. Dale
went up close, stopped and gathered
Il handful Of violets and dropped them
over her shoulder and into her lap.
Babe looked around and smiled.
what luck, Miss Littleford!"
| "Nothln'. l don't much want to
ketch anything" she said slowly, a
spirit of sadness in her musical voice.
Il Jest come Off down here to be
whar it's quiet. You ought to hear the
noise 'at pap and the rest OF EN- Is
a-makin!" t.. t&sas@ {. .. = ri X. a.
| Dale narrowed his eyes. Are they
er, making a noise? And what about2''
My goodness gracious alive! You'd
think so eff We could hear 'enl! Y'ought
to hear pap cuss John Moreland!'
She shrugged her. pretty shoulders,
lifted the small end Of her rod to Its
proper place, and went on, II never
did see pap half as mad as he was
when he got home last night from
a-follerin' me-" .a~- " III. -
/ Mad ut your" asked Dale. :,
NO; but he would ha' been CT he
hadn't ha' had all his madness turned
ag'in them Morelands. You knpwed
about pap's trouble on yam side o the
! river last night!' 5sl.s-.
ayes, | knew about that Dale an
/ swered slowly. "But John Morelantl
thought your father was my antago-
mist of yesteraS." 80
.An--.-antagonist? Babe mnttered