Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-01-14

the sound OF the vigflantes' rifles re-
Cured like the cracking of dry sticks,
then everywhere about the defenders
the earth was dashed by falling debris,
willie tile iron roof rang at the fusil-
lade.
The blast had come at their very ell
bows, and they We're too dazed and
shaken by it to grasp its Significance.
Then, before they could realize what
1t BODIED, the depths lit up again till
the raindrops were outlined distinct
and glistening like a gossamer veil of
silver. while the Office building to
their left was ripped and rcnled and
the adjoining walls lcaped out into
sudden relief. their shattered windows
looking like ghostly, sightless eyes.
The curtain of darkness closed heavier
than velvet, and the men covered in
their tracks. shielding themselves be-
hind the nearest objects or behind
one another's bodies, waiting for the
sky to vomit over them its rain of mis-
silcs. Their backs We're to the vigil
lantes 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 mad.lened beast is
weird and calculated to curdle the
blood at best. but with it arose a hui
man Toice, shrielling from pain and
fear of death.
A wrenched and doubled mass of zinc
had hurtled out of the heavens and
struck some one down. The choking
hoarseness of the mans appeal told
the story, and those about him broke
into flight to escape what might fol-
low, to escape this danger they could
not see but which swooped out of the
blackness above and against which
there was no defense. They fled only
to witness another and greater light
behind them by which they saw them
selves running. failing. groveling.
This time they were hurled from their
balance by a conclusion which,
dwarfed the two preceding ones. Some
few stood still, staring at the rolling
smoke bank as it was revealed by the
explosion, their eyes cleaning white,
while others buried their faces in their
followed arms as il to shut out the
hellish glare, or to shield themselves
from blow.
Out in the heart of the chaos rang
voice loud and clear:
Beware the next blast!"
At the same instant the glrdle of
sharpshooters rose up shifting the air
with their cries and charged In like
madmen through the rain of detritus.
They fired as they came. but it was
unnecessary, for there was no longer
a fight. 1t was rout. The defenders,
feeling they had escaped destruction
only by n happy chance in leaving the
bunk house the instant they did, We're
not minded to tarry here where the
heavens fell upon their heads. To
augment their CONSERVATION, the
horses had broken from their stalls
and We're plunging through the con-
fusion. Fear swept over the men,
blind, unreasoning, contagious, and
they rushed out into the night, col
liding with their enemies, overrunning
. them i'll the panic to quit this spot.
Some dashed off the bluff and fell
among the pits and sIuices. Others
ran up the mountain side, and covered
In the brush like quail
As the strangers" assembled their
prisoners near the ruins, they heard
wounded men moaning in the dark
ness, so lit torches and searched out
the stricken ones. Glenister came run
ming through the smoke pail, revolver
In hand, crying:
Has any one seen Mcnamara" No
one had, and when they were later as
sembled to take stock of their injuries
he was greeted by Dextry's gleeful an
nounccment:
THAT'S the deuce Of fight. We
amt got SO much as cold sore among
u.s."
Eve have captured fourteen" an
other announced, "and there may be
more out yonder in the brush"
Glenister noted with growing sur
prise that not one Of the pris-