Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The new Dorts are I a grace and finish hid mobiles sold at a mode ing and riding qualities to be appreciated. Drc onstrate. Prices F. O. E Five Passenger Tour in Two Passenger Roa<i Five Passenger Sedan, Three Passengr Cou] Five Passenger G (or $1 Also have some 1920 at a special p Lucas A TO BE MUCH MUSIC AT CAROLINA EXPOSITION Charlotte, N. C., Aug. 3.?-A number of Carolina bands already have given the "Made in Carolinas" exposition officials notice they probably will enter the competitiin for the $500 in cash prizes offered to bands of these states competing in concert'." during the final four days of the exposition, which will be held September 12 to 20. Included :n this number are the AsheviTle band, the Raleigh First Regiment band, the Elk's band at High Point, the Mooresville band, the Steel Creek band, of near Charlotte and the Charlotte Boy Scouts Band. MODI: I mi iod U MIK". SheritF Grant and Deputy be'lers made several raids recently on liquor stills in the county. in the Middendorf section David Johnson was arrested. A gas drum and a coper still are said to hav* been found on his place. W. K. Johnson was also arrestee on a charge of making contraband liquor. Near Patrick Joe Davis and Ed, Campbell were caught at 4 o'clock in tht morning of Saturday, Julj 2Jrd, while operating a still. Campbell gave bond. Up at last report DaA. F. DAVIS MARKET The Finest Fresh Meats The Best Fancy Groceries High Grade Canned Goods The Best of Everything for the Table A. F. DAVIS MARKET J. C. RIV Warehouse Back of Before Yo I M Flour, J.C. Riv loes ClearThrough >eautiful. They have lerto foreign to autorate price. Their driv> must be experienced >p in and let us dem , Flinty Mich. g Car, - $ 985.00 Ister, - - 985.00 - - - - 1685.00 pe, - - - 1535.00 ar Delivered here 100.00 1 models that we offer rice for (Jash uto Co. t Mr. A. W. Hursey made a business ! trip to New York City recently. Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Swinnie have 1 returned from Spencer, Va., where ! they have been visiting. There will be an afternoon singing 1 at Ruby baptist church the third Sun' day beginning at 3 o'clock. The Shiloh, Friendship, Cross Roads and ' Providenee choirs are expected to I sing. All are cordially invited to take ! part. Prof. E. O. Green, who has taught at the above places, will con1 duct the singing. Don't forget to bring your song book. HER WEDDING JUST A SHOW Her wedding was the most gorgeous that London society had evei seen. And she thought it was the beginning of the most beautiful happiness in the world. But that night her husband told her that she was his i wife in name only, that he knew how heartless and mercenary she was, and never wanted anything to do with h<*r Somohrwl at rl 11? 11 1 nl eoaioK/wl.. v - v., ^U.VUVU, i had repeated a careless jest of hers, . and suspicion flamed in his jealous breast. From that bitter night they i were enemies, though the world lookI ed on and envied their happiness, just as it had at their beautiful wedding and envied them. But she ; knew and he knew it was all a sham, f They had to go through a fiery fur? . nace of wretchedness before they . came out in tht safe peace of complete understanding and calm trust. A vital drama of married life. See it at The Strand Friday. MASONIC MEETING Regular communication of Chesterfield lodge No. 220 A. F. M., will be held Friday afternoon, August 12 at 4 o'clock. By order B. F. Teal, W. M. 'ERS 8 O the Old Chesterfield I u Buy Get Our Say, Con And Oats , Meat anc ers & G / LOCAL HEMS It doesn't pay to make mean llq uor. One of Sheriff Grants prisoners sent the sheriff to ask a man to go on his bond* The gentleman replied to the Sheriff's query: "Mo ? ?I won't go o nthe bond of any I ' man who makes liquor in a gasoline drum. If he made good liquor, why that would be another matter." Miss Molley McCreight of Ruby is visiting her aunt, Mrs. 11. H. Harrell. Mr. H. H. Harrell and son, David, visited in Rock Hill Tuesday. Misses Gertrude and Grace Parker and Briggman of Teal's Mill spent a part of this week in Chesterfield. "Miss Juanita Tribbler and Mrs. Dora Donalds, of Donalds, S. C.. are visiting Mr. and Mrs. P. H. Mo Kinney. Misses Helen Seegars, Etha Lee and Elizabeth Holley, who have been visiting Miss Elise Buchanan have returned to their home in Jefferson. An understanding has been reached between Messrs. H. H. Harell and Smith Ellis whereby Mr. Harrell and his son, David will run the Strand Tfcitatre under n sort of lease contract. Thus is assured good movia services tor Chesterfield film fans. Capt. J. A. Welsh and his company of nimrods have returned from a fishing trip to Little River. Dr. L. H. Trotti and sons, Tom and Jack and Mr. W. J. Hanna, have 1 returned from a fishing trip on the French Broad River in North Carolina. Miss Thelma Wallace of Hoffman. N. C., is visiting at the home of Mrs. J. H. Bittle. * Dr. and Mrs. Reece Funderburk I and Mrs. Annie Lavey of Lancaster visited Mrs. I. P. Mangum this week. Mrs. T. L. Watson of Kartsville, is visiting relatives here this week, i Mr. M. S. Watson has returned from the northern markets. Mrs. W. P. Odom is visiting rela rvoo Cno*.f?nk%..? " 'VU ... u^aiMMUUlg, Miss Braddy of Dillon is vis'ting at the home of Mrs. J. A. Welsh. Mr. Floyd Douglass is visiting friends at Ninety Six, J Dr. W. G. White of York spent Sunday ar.d Monday with Dr. and , Mrs. D. II. Laney. Miss Edra Bittle has returned fron. a visit at Hoffman, N. C. Mrs. A. M. Moore of Mt. Croghan, spent several days last week here with relatives. Mrs. J. C. Humphries of Sumter is lift guesi of iici sister, Mrs. C. K. Laney. At a meeting of the trustees of the county school last week, the matter of an attendance officer for the county Wus voted upon. The vote was 44 in favor to 31 against. The Board of Education will soon meet ^hen the question will be acted upon. It is also necessary that a majority of the delegation favor the establishment of this office before it can become effective. Miss Vida Nivins, stenographer for the Bank of Chesterfield, is spending her vacation at Wrightsvillc Beach, N. C. Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Odom went to Charlotte Tuesday. The birthday dinner of Mr. E. W. Robeson recently was one of those delightful affairs that linger long in the memory of its participants and ero far toward compensating for some . of the hard knocks of life. Mr. Robeson was celebrating his 75th birthday, and k04 of his friends and relatives came out on that day to express i to him, while he is living, something of their love and friendship, and in, cidentaiiy to eat a wonderful picnic t dinner. Master "Bub" Robeson, son of Mr. Ben Robeson, has returned from a two-weeks visit in Now York. He was the guest of Messrs. A. G. I-ake and R. II. Britton, of that city. These gcnUemen are frieods of Mr. Robeson, with whom they spend some time every winter, hunting and fishing. "Bub" says he had the time of his life. His hosts showed him all the sights of the great city,not forgetting Coney Island. Tlfere has been some confusion in the minds of local sportsmen about the game laws. An act of the recent General Assembly permits the hunting of squirrels, raccons, rabbbits and 'possums from September 1st to March 1st. OMPANY Mercantile Co. Stand 1 Prices On ri I Lard The v CLAN CALL (CoathuraJ from preceding page) Caleb'* bettf fa jail f* ' 1U big blllm'i anewer ?b* almo*t sharply: MNe Hoc el tad ever grieved ever t aaerlfjroe, BML" Dele eat op straight -A eacrULeel Whet do yen meant" Thle time the big hlllmtn'o aiiawer came slowly. "I mean 'at Otle We a-tekln' all ? the load off ? vere shoulders 'at ha can. Oala ha> a-takln* yore place ia jail ontel the trial coiea Off, whtchl! ha at tha October Wru a* co'ta. Ha trusts you ta ooma hack and aat him free on tha day a* tha trial. O* course yonll do It} we hajnt ever doubted that fa* aae little minute, BilL Bat it wasn't aM dona fo' yore sake. You're tha hope q' tha liorelands, and yon can do a heap ' mora have 'an Galeb can." i Ha leaned toward Bill Dele and want on In a confidential tana: "And I can Ceil ye this her*, af yao'ra found guilty af klllla' Adam Ball, and seat tared fa' even one yev. the Marelanda and tha Llttiefords la a-gofn' to take ya from tha officers and i turn ya loose with a good, long start . on tha law.M I "Wouldn't that ha rather?" j Dale brska off hacausa ha had aeon I tha tall figure of a man appear In the ape* gateway.' It was By Heck, and ha spake. "Hello, Jah* lioreland!" "Hello yedfltfl" growled Morel end, who was net hit all pleased at the Interruption. Heck advanced* carrying hta rifle by ita mur.rie. He halted with one foot an the stone step. "Pre got news to' ye. Bill," he said, recognising Dale even In the darkness. -JTve heeo a-eaveedrappln' up at old Bell's hnusa, end I had to choke about ten djflgga to do It. Bill, old bay, them juld has dona aware by everything ?n earth and In Heaven end In Tonndbf' at they'll kill you ef tha law dotffc Xgod, ye'd better watch out, Bill." "v* John Mainland roes from his chair. "Much otdaegrd to ya. By. And goodnight to yd. La's go Into the house, BUI. I <11 (Vt think them d?d polecats had tfitft much narre?and I don't hardly bell die It ylt It might ha' keen white lick of a-talkln. Their kind a' white Ucket ain't hawaeat, Uka By Hack's Is, tfcpugh hls'n Is bad enough. Their klnddl make e men resurrect his deed tdesalts oat #' the gaaveyerd end shoot "km up all over again. It ain't e-goln' ka do a great deal o' harm, BUI, ef ye deo't light no lamp when ye go to bed. A man caln t never tail what's a-goln* to happen." ! "And the Ball-Torrey outfit? * Dale began, when the Moreland chief cut In: "Ef the Ball-Torrey outfit pesters you, they're ovary one party durned apt to die dith whet is knowed gen'elly In this sdctlon as the rlflo-bnllat die MM." CHAPTER XIII tsntsn?4 ts Han?. Sheriff Tom Flowers and four able deputies rode out of Qartersvllle very early on the following morning. Tbey went to the Big Pine mountain country, and, by a scheme that entailed some shrswdnesg on the part of the chief officer, arrested two Balls and two Torreys on suspicion and took then) away without trouble. The two Balls and the two Torreys were lodged In the Qartersvllle Jail and offered their liberty and exoneration from all blame In the dynamiting affair If they would give the names of the other guilty parties and appear against them. The mountaineers declared stoutly that they knew nothing whatever of the matter, and when pressure was applied they grew sullen i and refused to talk at all. It was plain to Flowers that they did knoW- something about It, and he finally ordered that they be kept In a cell on a dfet of bread and water until their tongues loosened. At which the Bulls atld'' Torreys swore loudly and swore that they would rot In jail fl rat?unless their kinsmen came and shot up the tewn and liberated them hy force! "To nig that Is proof that you four M cmllhf " trlml* unlldd tha "And If your folks want to try storming the jail, lot them. A full company of mflttla can bo rushed hero within an hour, at any tlmo, and we'll gtre your folks all the fun they want." It may bo recorded that the four bill men never confessed. Rill Dale, closely shadowed by one Ian?y Samuel Hock with his Inevitable, ever-ready rifle, went among the work-1 era with a cheer that lie did not feet Far Caleb Moreland was In Jail, and . Caleb Morel and was Innocent. But there was one sincere delight for Dale: Hayes was driving the little railroad ahead with all his might and all the might oS hie men. Hayes was la high favey with those under htm; they worked even harder when he was absent thsn they worked when ha was standing over then. Thh days ran on, and there was as sign of a hostile demonstration from the Rafts and Torreya Judging from appearances, they were wholly satisfled with Caleb lforelaud'a being In jail. Henderson Goff had disappeared. Dal# honed that ha waa rid of the man fOP All Hma Km# Ke ? ? _?> hv >tbni w vrvu wma not so confident as wan Major Bradley that he could establish his Innocence In the matter at the dynamiting of the two buildings and the trestle. He wished very much to steer clear of arrest, for reasons of his own, and he was biding his time In 4 little town In western North Carolina. When the dynamiting affair had blown over, he would go back and try again, perhaps by an altogether new scheme, to get himself Into possession of tho Moreland coal. Then there came to the neighborhood a man whom no Moreland, and none of tho Llttlefords, had over set eyes upon before. Ho was a vary uncouth mountain man, with long black -hair and shaggy board; hit clothing was outlandish sad ragged. He had not much to say; there was about him, somehow, an air of mystery. Two days after hla arrival, In the afternoon, the stranger met Dale rold .. .... - * ' < 'i' 1_ ' ' X 1 A 1 'i " itoypd SB with ah uapralsed nana. ; "Do JW know good CWl when f mm ltf* he drawled. "Why!" Mtod Dal*, on hi* guard. The stranger looked shar$ly In all directions, as though ha wiahad to make sura that no parson was within earshot of them. Shrldently satisfied, ha draw from a trousers pocket a shining black lump ot coal, which ha bald oat far Dale's Inspection. "Whit do ye think a* this heraT" ha wanted ta know. Dale took the lump and examined It closely. It was apparently as good as the Moreland coal, which had sent the expert Hayes Into raptures. Dale -What Do Ye Think o' This Here?" He Wanted to Know. theiT looked closely at the stranger. He appeared to be honest; his gaze was steady, and seemed very Innocent, "Where did you get this?" Dale asked. The alert eyea narrowed. "Do ye think this here vein you're a-flxln' to mine Is the euly vein In the whole country ?" "Where did you get this?" Dale repeated. "Do ye think," drawled the other, "*at I'm plumb fool enough to give my find away fc* r.cthln'? ! been pore all nay life, mister!" "How am 1 to know," frowned Dale, "that you've really got a find?" "Ye'd believe yore own two eyea, wouldn't ye?" "Yes," Dale agreed, *Td believe my own two eyes, of course. What'i your name, and where are you from?" "What do I git outen it? I don't own the mountain lfa In, but It shore can be bought to' fifteen cents a acre. And nobody knows about It but jest me. It lays closer to the railroad 'an this here Morelsnd vein, too. What do I git outen It, mister?" The mountaineer seemed more honest than ever, but Dale was still on his guard. He asked again: "What's your name, and where are you from?" This time the answer came readily: "My name It's Walt Turner, and I'm from Turner's Laurel, Madison county. state o' Nawtb Ca'llner. But my find It ain't nowhars clost to home. Taln't do more'n about two hours o' walkln' from right here, mister. Ef you'd Jest up and go along wl' me. I'd show It to ya.M Dale considered. There might be a considerable' rein of this new coal. Even If he was sent to the state penitentiary for a term of years. Hayes was entirely capable of carrying on the mining operations. "I'd like to take my mining man. Hayes?" "Nor quickly objected Walt Turner. "1 don't want Dobody else to know whar It's at but Jest you and me. That away, ye see, ef I'm treated crooked I'll know edzactly who done It ?and I'll shore git you I But I heerd i tell' at you was pow'ful square, mister." "Could * gpt back here before nightfall r Turner's eyes lighted. "Shore I" "Then lead the way." ordered Dale Walt Turner from Turner's lvaurei, Madlsou county, state of North Carolina, crossed the little creek on stones end went straight to the northeast, missing the Rail settlement by a good mile, and hard on his heels followed the Moreland Coal company's stalwart general manager. The way was exceedingly rough. The two men climbed rugged cliffs, threaded dense thickets of great Vgurel, mountain laurel, sheep laurel, and huckleberry bushes. They were one hour in a stretch of woods where the hemlocks, poplars and hickories stood ae thickly that the Interlacing branches oveiliead shut out completely the light of the spn and half the light of day. Fearing a panther, or a wildcat. Dale Kept his revolver loosened and ready In Its holster. Walt Turner armed himself with a long staff?for snakes, hs said; and then he proved It by killing a rattler that bad eight rattles to its taiL But they traveled rapidly, notwithstanding the fact that the going was difficult; and two hours after the beginning of the little Journey Dale saw before him a small and almost circular, let el-bottomed basin walled In by low cliffs. small creek ran through this basin and made two easy ways of entrance. In the hollow they saw clumps of laurel and huckleberry bushes, and wild grasses knee-high; toward the center stood a solitary big and gnarled black walnut tree. They entered at the point at which the creek ran In, and went to the walnut tree. There Turner halted and faced BUI Dale with a peculiar gllat In his eyes. Dale was looking at the | rugged walls of stone, and at the I thick green foregt that rose above I them; he was marveling, as only a | true lover of beauty can marvel, at the wonderful grandeyr of It all. Walt Turner, of Turner's Laurel, opened his sUt of a mouth and spake, 'Heroes the kitty r J n'r": class pe ?t laurel "and huckleberry bnahee, tna ta tan yum, from j mtywhin it MMl fin MTbtn III Dal? Had Walked, aa Qantly aa a Kitten, Straight Into a Trap. Torreys with rifles In their hands! Bill Dala had walked, as gently as a kitten, straight Into a trap. His right band moved toward tha butt of his revolver, then dropped at his side. It was foolish, worse 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. Turqer was laughing openly. ' Pore little klttyl" "If ever I have the chance," muttered Bill Dale. "I'll 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 Ball's father, the acknowledged leader of that band of cutthroats that was now the Bnll-Torrey faction, glared at 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 his worn Jeam 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 uwi unsuccessful. "I presume thla la what you call taking the law Into your own hands. Isn't It?" he said with a smile that was forced. "Edzactly 1" snapped old'Ball. "We ketched ye to' the law, and we held yp to' the law, and we turned ye OTOf to the law; and 'en, by gonnles. the law turned ye loose the very next day I And 'en the shurlff he cornea out here and arrests four o' us I Kf the law won't try ye and punish ye fp' a-shootln' my son Adam Ib cold blood, by gonnles, we'll try ye and punish ye fo' a-doln' It Bnt ye needn't be skeered none at alL Ye're plumb sbore to g1t Jeatlce. I'll pron>? lae ye Jestlce." "You've evidently overlooked the fact tl?: 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. "Ne mau on earth don't like no other man well enough fo' that. Asides, you're the one 'at killed my son Adam, by gonnles, and you're the one 'at must suffer fo* It Bight here onder this here warnut tree we're a-goln' to hold co'te and have yore .trial, by Jedga and Jury, and yeu'U shore git what's a-comln' H Bill Dale cut In with some bitterness ; "And you'll be the Judge, and yonr plana tare already been laid, and I'm to be hanged by tbe neck nntll dead; eh? Well, you'll pay dearly for It I promise you. We always have i to pay for what we get, you know. The Morelands and the Llttleforda will be quick to settle the account. You know that." "No," old Ball disagreed hotly, "1 don't know that!" He turned to the otliera. "Set down, boys. It's the same price aa crtandln*. 'The Jury will please set over tliar," pointing to his right. "The prls'ner and his gyards will pleuse set right over thar," pointing to his left. "The hon'rable Jedge, which same la me, will please set right thar," Indicating a spot at the base of the gnarled walnut. "The rest," he finished, "willaet anywhar they d?d pleases. Set down, men." His orders were obeyed. Dale found himself sitting on the ground between two pairs of mountaineers and facing a line of twelve niouutalneers?the socalled Jury. To his left was. the selfappointed Judge, and to his right lounged a score or more of men whose attention was then being turned toward a Jug of fiery new whisky that had never been near to a revenue stamp or anything else that wus honest. The Jug traveled rapidly from one lialry mouth to another. Old Ball passed the Jug to a member of the "Jury," and announced: "Well, dammit, co'te's open now." "Kitty, kitty, kitty I" Ucated Walt Turner. Tore little kitty I" The mockery began. It was ridiculous, and yet It was grira. - Adam Ball's father himself furnished most of the evidence; also he acted as prosecuting attorney. Of course there was no counsel for the defense, and It wouldn't have helped If Dale had had a proverbial Philadelphia lawyer on the grounds; all the proof apd elo quence and pleading In the world never would have changed. In the slightest degree, the sentence that bad been cut and dried for Bill Dale. The mock trial was being held solely because the Balls and Torreys felt that by (told It they ware Insulting the majesty I of the law and making their veo maamMsmmsmwmMBBas^j^Bsmwaasaeae^^fl Right "fell during the worfiy and 9 pnteAt UiIbim of tb? Ball lsader, 5 tad it ?u ordered'that a fire ho MUt | it once. At once a Ore mt hullh try I brushwood being used, and tn ttt tad 1? and flldttrlng gl^pe the (ftcti at the | bfllmea looked doubly da#$ and doubly I wicked. Then the Judge begged, a I chew of tobacco and deliberately kept * the whole twlat, and told the Jury to go out and bring back a verdict (frithout loalng time. , The twelve mountaineers rose on- *. 1 teadlly and went te the creek, and there one of them uncovered another Jug of flery new whisky that waa alien to a revenue stamp. They drank heavily and returned to the walnut tree court without mentioning the trial. The foreman was a Torrey, and a particularly had one. Bis swarthy face, with Its high Cherokee cheekbones and Its thln-lfpped mouth. we* ultra-cruel, ultra-vfctous. He entered the circle of red and flickering firelight slowly, smiling evilly, and the other eleven crowded up closd behind him. He cleared his throat, spat between twe fingers at the fire, and turned to the Judge. "Oentlemen ft' the Jury," growled the ruling Ball, "have ye reached a verdict t" "We have, yore honor," very promptly answered the Torrey who waa foreman. "And we ha' found the pris'ner guilty o' the wnat kind V coldblooded, premeditated mudder In the fust decree, yore honor." Old Ball leveled a knotty forefinger toward BUI Dale. "Fo' .the klllln* ft' mv eon Adam" he pronounced sentence, "you ih'll hang by the neck onfel c\ead, from a limb o' this here warnut tree, by gonnles, at sunrise In the mornln'." Although he bad well known what the sentence would be, Dale went suddenly ashen. TBen he took a firm grip on himself and began to raasob. He could not hope, he decided, that the Morelands an'd the Llttlgfords would find him before the sun rose. They would miss him, of course, and i hey would suspect foul play and look for htin; but finding hlra In that wilderness?It was Impossible. It became plain to him that he would have to snve himself If he were saved. He believed his best chance lay In his proving that he was anything but a t coward; the worst mountaineer, be knew, admired a brave man. So he turned slightly toward the self-appointed Judge and asked calmly: "Is there anything really game about you?" "Shore, by gonnles!" quickly. "I'm all game. I'm the feller 'at showed wildcats how to fight. What about It?" Til see If you're all game," Dale said, and be smiled when he spoke. "I'll make you this proposition: I'U fight any ten of yob, two at a time, with five minutes' rest between fights; If I whip them all I go free, and It I don't Trh'.p then; * hane Immediately. All parties to be barehanded, no guna and no knives. Are yell thai gamer* Ordinarily, It would have been ?l thing well nigh impossible to do, ft) a eh aa Dale knew of the pngtllstlf krt? great ah was his strength, and anftr? anee. But now most of those about Dale were drunk and therefore weakened. and he believed he bad a chance If old Bnll accepted. Bat Judge Ball didn't accept. Doubtless be remembered bis son Adam's fight with Dale.' "The' caln't be no flghtln' la co'ta," he said. "You sh'll hnng by the neck ontel dead, at sunrise In the morula'.* There was a mumble of approval from the others. Doubtless they, too, remembered that thf young man whom they held a captive had ence whipped Black Adam Ball, the mountalqeef Goliath, with hla bare hands. They did not have the one good trait that Pale hud hoped they possessed; whlla they must have admired blm for hla^ courage, they were afraid to fight him without weapons. '-Dale recalled the fact that the Balls were not'originally hill folk, but lowlandtors who had taken U> the mountains in order to avoid being forced to fight during the Civil war, a people without a principle. The Cherokee Toroera. ef course, were even worse. "Kitty, kitty, kitty I* Walt Turnar i called tauntingly Again. "He waikea' | Into the trap like a pore llttla kitty I" A plowllne of half-loch cotton rope was produced, and . the condemned mnn was securely hound, standing o* his feet and facing outward, to the trig walnut. Desperate as was his case, Dale couldn't help being a trifle amused ?? that part of It. It waa so very melodramatic. And yet. It was so grimly real, and bis hopes seemed so thin. . . . The Morelands and the Littlefords would eventually learn the truth and make the Ralls and Torreys pay a dear price, no doubt, but that?that wouldn't give him back his life! ** The men were divided into two watches. The first was to remain awake and on guard until midnight* and the other was to go on duty from midnight until dawn. The second watch, with which was the faction's leader, had a nightcap of the vitriolic whisky, flung Itself sprawling on the ground and straightway went to sleep. The first watch sat around the crackling brushwood fire and played cards for chews of tobacco, cartridges and pocket knives, qang strange sod ^ r outlandish songs and drank more ^ whisky. One very drunk Torrey gambled away all bis tobacco^ all his cart- . ridges, his knife, his rifle and his bell, bis coat and his hat, bis boot# and his shirt?and offered to bet Me trousers and bis ears on the turn of a single card I It was funny, and It was diegnatlng, too. It waa all tha work of \ whlakv. whleh win n.i* - ?" nu IIW1JI hated because It made men fools, inads them mouth their oecrets end made them commit murder. . . After some two bovra of these wore# then bacchanalian orgies the drat watch, heavy with drink, stooped playing cards and singing outlandish songs, forgot all orders and began te nod. Then It was that Dal# thought of |he man who had been hla faithful guardian far many days, the lanky By Hack. Why hadQ't ha thought of Heck beforeT lie wend*** If Heck hid followed him |o the leap, If Beck . wasoeer bin even than,