Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-11-25

| At the sound of his voice Strang
! turned toward him and the sonorous
triumph that rumbled in his throat
faded to a low greeting. And Ma
thaniel saw that the little old coun-
cilor's eyes glittered boldly as they
met the prophets and that in their
glance was neither fear nor servitude
but rather light as of master meet
| ing master The two advanced and
clasped hands and few low words
passed between them while Nathaniel
went to the door,
II will go with you, Captain Ma
: thaniel Plum" called Obadiah. Il will
''The councillor will be your friend"
added Strang To-day he carries with
him that authority from the king"
| He bowed and Nathaniel passed
caught last warning flash from the
| girls eyes. AS he hurried down the
! stair he heard the councillor pause
! for an instant upon the landing and
| taking advantage of this opportunity
he picked up the crumpled paper, and
read these lines:
Hurry to your ship. In another
hour men will be watching for an
opportunity to kill you. You will never
leave the island alive-unless you go
now. The girl you saw through the
window sends you this warning"
He thrust the paper into his coat
pocket as Obadiah came up behind
him.
"Ho, no, Nat, my boy, I have come
fast to catch you'll have come fasti"
he whispered. He caught his COM
panion by the arm and Nathaniel felt
his hand trembling violently. Come
this way, Nat-beyond the temple.
have things to say to you His voice
was strangely unnatural and when
Captain Plum looked down into his
face the look in the bead-like eyes
startled him. NAT. you must hurry
away with the PACKAGE"
80 UNDERESTIMATE I save my skin
Obadiah Price, I have a notion to kill
you'll"
They had passed beyond the huge
edifice of logs, and as he stopped,
hidden from the view Of the kings
Office, Nathaniel caught the councillors
arm in a grip that crushed to the
bone
81 have notion to kill you!" he re-
peated.
The old man stood unflinching. Not
a muscle of his face quivered as the
captains fingers sank into the flesh.
cat the first sign of treachery, at
the first sign of danger to myself, I
shall shoot you dead" he finished.
You may, Nat, you may, From this
moment until you leave the island
shall be at your side and no harm
shall come to you. But if there should,
Nat, or if there should come a mo-
ment when you believe that l am your
enemy-shoot mel" There was sim
cerity in his voice that carried con-
yiction to Nathaniel's heart and he
released his hold upon the councillors
arm. Regardless of the mystery that
surrounded him he believed in Oba-
diah. But there rose in his breast
mad desire to choke this old man into
telling him the truth, to force him to
reveal the secrets of this strange plot
into which he had been drawn and of
which he knew as little as when he
first set foot in Strang's kingdom. Yet
he realized even as the desire formed
itself in his brain that such an effort
would be useless.
'If you had remained at the cabin,
Nat, you would have known that l
was your friend" continued Obadiah.
She would have come to you, but
now-it is impossible. You know. You
have been warned?"
Nathaniel drew Winnsome's note
from his pocket and read it aloud.
Obadiah smiled gleefully when he no
ticed how carefully he kept the hand
writing from his eyes.
"Ah, Nat, you are noble fellow"
he cried, rubbing his hands in his old
tireless way. you would not betray
pretty little Winn, Ell? And who do
you suppose told Winnsome to give
you this note?"
"Strang's wife"
Yea, even so. And it was she who
set my old legs a-running for you, my
boy Come, let us novel"
The little councillor was his old self
again, chuckling and grimacing and
rubbing his hands, and his eyes
danced as he spoke of the girl.
Casey is not a cautious man." he
gurgled with sudden upward leer.
Casey is a fool"
Casey" almost shouted Captain
Plum. What the devil do you mean?"
'Ho, no, ho-haven't you guessed
the truth yet, Nat? While you and
were getting acquainted last night a
couple of fishermen from the main
land dropped alongside your sloop.
They had been robbed by the Mormon
pirates They cursed Strang. They
swore vengeance. And your cautious
Casey cursed with EN- and fed EN-,
and drank with 'em-and he would
have had them stay until morning
only they were anxious to hurry with