Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-16
something covered with . carriage
robe in his hand.

gOIHCLHHE CoVotOu WIN S0iAA0eS
robe in his hand.
i've the honor TO report, sir,
HALEY mun,h'@d. stu and straight IN
his military posture. very grimy and
blood-stained hand at salute, 1--WE the
honor to report, sor that Private Kito
and me discovered two suspicious
characters making up the hillside by
the sekrut road. We purshooed thin,
sor, and whin they wudnt halt we
fired on thin, sor, Exploding this here
man tumbled."
kito smilingly flung aside the car
riage-robe disclosing the still smoking
shell OF an ingenious round bomb,
very similar to those used in fire.
works.
The colonel examined It closely: Il
was an ugly bit Of dynamite craft.
ANY casualties. sergeant" The
colonel asked grimly.
Yes, sor. The man wild the bum
was kilt be the Explosion; the other
man was hit by Private Kito and
wounded In the shoulder but escaped.
mesilf have confusion on me right
arrum, me ankle is sprained; ana
livery tooth in me head is in me pockit!
Report to Miss Smith at the hos
pital, sergeant. Any further report?"
Il wu'd like to riccommind Private
Kito for honorable minshun for gal
lanthry."
II shall certainly remember him;
and you also, sergeant in any report
that may make. Look after the
garage, Kito."
Kito bowed and retired, beaming.
while Haley hobbled into the house.
The consequences Of the attack made
ON the garage did not appear at once.
One was that young Arnold had al
ready brought the touring car into tho
patio in the absence OF Haley and
Kito. Another was that he and Tracy
and Kito all repaired to the scene OF
the explosion to examine the dead
mans body. They returned almost i'm
mediately, but for few moments
there was no one Of the house In the
court. The colonel went to Keatcham
in final effort to dissuade him from
going into the city until after he him
self had gone to the Preside aAd re-
turned with guard. He represented
az forcibly as he could the danger OF
Keatcham's appearance during time
of such tumult and lawlessness.
I'VE are down to the primeval pas
sions now" he pleaded. do you sup
pose IL it had been Haley instead of
that dago out there who was killed
that we could have punished the
murderer? Not unless we did it with
our own hands They are maybe lying
in wait at the first street corner now.
II you will only wait"
Keatcham chopped OF his sentence
without ceremony. not irritably, but
with-the brusquerie of one whose time
is too precious for dilatory amenities.
"Will the fire wait" he demanded.
"Will the thieves and toughs and ruff
fans whom we have to crush before
they realize their strength, will they
wait? This is my town, Winter, tho
only town l care rap for; and I
propose to help save 1t. can. Dam
ger? OF course there Is danger; there
is danger in every battle: but do you
keep out of battles where you belong
because you may get killed? This Is
my affair; If / get killed 1t Is In the
way Of business and can't help It!
No, Arnold, won't have your fathers
son mixed up in my fights; you can't
60"
Somebody has got to run the ma
chine, sir" insinuated young Arnold
with coaxing smile; "aud / fancy I
shouldn't be my fathers son II didn't
look after my guest-not very long;
he'd cut me out. Tracy is going, too,
he's armed"
"You are not both going" said the
colonel, somebody with a head on
him must stay here to guard the
ladies'"
He would have detailed both Tracy
and Mercer; but Mercer could really
help Keatcham better than anyone
in any business arrangements which
might need to be made. And Keatch-
am plainly wished his company. Had
not the situation been 80 grimly se-
rious Winter could have laughed ut
the grotesque reversal Of their condi-
lions; Tracy and Arnold did laugh;
they were all taking their orders from
the man who had been their defeated
prisoner a little while back. Mercer
alone kept his melancholy poise; he
had obtained the aim Of years; he was
not sure but his revenge was subtler
and completer than he had dared to
hope. Being zealct he was pos
sessed by his dreams. Suppose he
had converted this relentless and ire
mendous power to his own way OF
faith: what mightn't he hope to &C
complish? Meanwhile, SO far as the
business In hand was concerned, he
believed in Keatcham and IN Keatch-
ap's methods OF helm: he bowed 10
the innate power Of the man; and he
was as simply obedient and loyal as
Kito would have been to his feudal
lord.
In a very brief time all the arrange
ments were made; the four men went
into the patio to enter the touring car.
They walked up to the empty machine.
The colonel stepped into the front
seat Of the machine. Something in
the noise of the engine which was
painting and straining against its con-
troll, some tiny sibilant undertone