The Red Cloud chief., 1908-02-21
[Continued from page g..

aVulu uS fDWtT jaw Stl Sp Silllly tudt
the muscles ached. Leveling his wca-
pom at the caves of the bunk house, he
pulled trigger rapidly, the bang. bang.
bang. six times repeated, sounding dull
and dead beneath the blanket of mist
that %0vcrhung. A shout sounded be-
hind him, and then the shrek of a
Winchester ball close over his head.
He turned in time TO see another shot
stream out of the darkness, where n
sentry was firing at the flash OF his
gun. then bent himself double and
plunged down the ditch.
With the first Impact overhead the
~en poured forth from their quarters
armed and brlstling, to bc greeted by
n volley Of gunshots, the thud of hui
lets and the dwlndling whine Of spent
lead. They Icaped from shelter to
find themselves glrt with Il fitful hoop
OF fire, for the "~Stranglers' had spread
In the are of n circle and now emptied
their rifles toward the center. The
defenders, however, maintained sur
prising order considering the sudden
ness of their attack and ran to join
the sentrics. whose positions could be
determined by the nearer flashes. The
voice of II man in authority shouted
loud commands. No demonstration
came from the outer voidS. nothing
but the wicked streaks that stabbed
the darkness. Then suddenly behind
McNamnra's men the night glared
luridiy IA though II great furnace door
had opened and then clauged shut,
while with IL came Il hoarse thudding
roar that silenccd the rifle play. They
saw the cook house disrupt itself and
disintcgrate into n thousand flying
tiinbers and twisted sheets of tin
which scared upward and outward
over their heads and into the night.
As Inc rocking hills ceased echoing
the sound Of the ~vigilantcs' rifles re-
CURED like the cracking of dry sticks,
h everywhere about the defenders
the earth was dashed by falling debris,
while the iron roof rang mt the fusil- |
lade.
The blast had come mt their very el-
bows, and they were too dazed and
shaken by 1t To grasp its significance.
Then, before they could realize what
II BODIED, the depths lit up again till
the ralndrops were outlined distinct
and glistcning like a gossamer veil OF
silver, while the office building to
their left was ripped and rcnded and
the adjoining walls leaped out into
sudden relief, their shattered windows
looking like ghostly, sightless eyes.
rho curtain OF darkness closed heavier
than velvet, and the men covered in
their tracks, shielding themselves be-
hind the nearest objects or behind
n anOther's bodies. waiting for the
SKY to vonit over them its rain of mis-
silcs. Their backs were TO the vigil
lantcs now. their faces to the center.
Many had dropped their rifles. The
thunder Of hOofs and the scream of
terrified horses came from the sta
bles. The cry of a maddened beast Is
weird and calculated to curdle the
blood ut best, but with it arose II hu-
man voice, Shrieking from pain and
fear OF death.
A wrenched and doubled mass of zine
had hurtlcd u of the heavens and
struck some down. The choking
h~onrsencSs OF he mans appeal told
the story. and those about him broke
into flight 10 escape what might fol-
low, Ia escape this danger they could
not sec but which swoopcd ont of the
blacknesS above and against which
there was no defense. They fled only
to witness another and greater light
bel,iud them 10y which they saw them.
selves running, falling, groveling.
This time they were hurled from their
balance by II conclusion which
dwarfcd the two preceding ones. Some
few stood still. staring ut the rolling
smoke bank MS It was revealed by the
explosion. their eyes cleaning white,
while others buried their faces ia their
followed arms as If to shut out tho
hellish glare. or to shield themselves
from II blow.
Ont In the heart OF the chaos rang
a voice loud and clear:
Beware the neyt blast"
At the same instant the girtle of
sharpshootcrs rose up shifting the air
with their cries and charged in like
madmen through the rain Of deiritus.
They fired as they came, bur II was
unnecessary, for there was no longer
81 fight. II was a rout. The defenders,
feeling they had escaped destruction
only by a happy chance in leaving the
bunk house the instant they did, were
not minded 10 larry here where the
hen VpnS fell unnu thnir heads no