The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-08

The scene is laid in a frontier town
which for want of a better name is
called Springvale. The hero, John
Baronet, comes west with his father
When he is years old and THE girl,
Marjorie Whateley, when she is G.
There are varied experiences with the
Indians, the little community living IN
| constant fear of an uprising and mas
sacre. The Border war receives some
attention and the destruction of the
village by southern sympathizers is
averted by the boys and women Left
behind when the men go to the war.
The love affairs of the young people
do not run smoothly and following the
civil war John Baronet enlists to fight
the Indians. Then comes the bloody
battle Of the Arickaree which is ia
miliar to every school boy. Here the
rowers of the author as a story teller
are at their best. The account of this
bloody encounter with the savages is
the most thrilling and vivid ever told
and it is history, not fiction.
Death of Roman Nose.
Here is an extract which is printed
to show the master hand of the author
at description rather than to give the
reader an impression OF what the pook
contains:
1--WE held back our fire again, as in
the first attack, until the foe was al
most upon US. With Forsyth's order,
Now, Now our part of the drama
began. 1 marvel yet at the power of
that return charge. Steady, con-
slant, true to the last shot, we swept
back each advancing wave of war
riors. maddened now to maniac fury.
In the very moment of victory de-
feat was breaking the forces, moving
down the strongest and spreading con-
fusion everywhere. A thousand wild
beasts on the hills, frenzied with tor
ture, could not have ragged more than
those frantic Indian women and
shrieking children watching the fray.
with us it was the last stand. We
wasted no strength in this grim crisis;
each turn of the hand counted. While
fearless as though he bore charmed
| life, the gallant savage commander
dared death at our hands, needing no
more our rain of rifle balls than if
they had been the drops of a summer
shower. Right on he pressed, regard
less of his fallen braves. How grand
| Iy he lowered above them in his great
strength and superb physique, a very
prince of proves, the type of leader
| in a land where the battle is always to
the strong. And no shot of our men
was able to reach him until our fin
| ish seemed certain, and the time limit
was closing in. But down in the thick
! weeds, under a f1imsy rampant of soft
sand crouched a slender, fair haired
boy. Trim and pink checked as a girl
Young Stillwell was matching his cool
nerve and steady craftsmanship
against the exultant dominance of a
savage giant. 1t was David and Col
| iath played out in the plains warfare
| of the Western continent. At the
| crucial moment the scouts bullet went
/ home with unerring aim and the one
man whose power counted as thou
sand warriors among his own people
received his mortal wound. Backward
1 he reeled and dead or dying he was
taken from the field"
The account of the sufferings of the
/ Nineteenth Kansas cavalry on the
plains the following winter are told
with a graphic appreciation. which is
little short of wonderful. 1t is a
story that grips and holds ones at
tention and this is the true test of a
successful novel.
And the love story-it turns out as
it should with all concerned happy.
It is just as we'll to say that the
author is Margaret Hill McCarter, one
of the most talented women in To-
peka. She has written other books.
but THE Price of the Prairie is THE
one. II it doesn't. sell. the writer of
this will be greatly surprised. The
publishers are the A. c. McClurg
company of Chicago and they have
given the novel a worthy investiture.
It is illustrated in color by j. N
Marchand and the pictures are worthy
| Of f11e story