Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-09-22
sickening force OF a sledge hammer.

o'.hepIBg force OF q sic1ge hammer.
Inc maj fell without a groan In
another flash he had drawn his knife
anu severed the tlorg3 that held the
mar at the stake. For a moment his
race was very near the girls and he
saw her lips form the glad cry which
ne'did no wait to hear.
lie turned like an enraged beast to-
ward the circle of d~umbfounded spec
tators and launched himself at the
second guard. From behind him there
a shout and ne caught the
CLEAN OF naked shoulders as the man
who had been at the stake rushed to
his side. Together they tore through
the narrow rim of the crowd, striking
at the faces which appeared before
them, their terrific blows driving men
right and left.
This way, Neii!" shouted Nathaniel.
This way-to the ship"
They raced up the slope that led
from the town to the forest. Even the
kings officer, palsied by the sudden
ness OF the attack, had not followed
From a screened window In the kings
building two men had witnessed the
exciting scene near the jail. One OF
these men was Strang. The other was
Arbor Crocne. At another window a
few feet away, hidden from their
eyes by a high desk and masses of
papers and books, Winnsome Croche
was crumpled up or the floor hardly
daring to breathe through fear of Re.
traying her presence. From these
windows they had seen the girl run
from behind the Jail; they had watched
her struggle through the line of spec.
tators, saw Nathaniel leap forward
saw the quick blow, the cleaning
knife, and the escape. So suddenly
had it all occurred that not a sound
escaped the two astonished men. But
as Nathaniel and Neil burst through
the crowd and sped toward the forest
Strang's great voice doomed forth like
tho rumble Of a gun.
"Arbor Croche, ovcrtake those men
and kill thcm!"
With 4 wild curse the chief of sher.
IFS dashed down the stairway, and as
she heard him go the terror of VIM
sOmc'S heart seemed to turn her blood
cold. She knew what hat command
meant. She knew that her father
would obey It. AS the daughter of the
chief of shcriffs more than one burn.
ing secret was hidden in her breast.
more than one of those frightful dag.
gers that had prickcd at the soul of
her mother until they had murdered
her. And the chief of them all was
this: That to Arbor Croche the words
of Strang were the words of God and
that If the prophet said kill, he would
kill. For "A full minute she crOuchCd
in her cOnccalmcnt, stunned by the
horror that had so quickly taken the
place of the joy with which she had
witnessed the escape. She heard
Strang leave the window, heard his
heavy steps in the outer room, heard
the door close. and knew that he, too,
was gone. She sprang to her feet and
ran to the window at which the two
| men had stood. The chief of shcriffs
was already at the Jail. The crowd lad
begun to dispense. Men were swGrN.
inS IKE anus up llc iohS SIop' I'"'l'
ing to the forest. Three or four OF
the leaders were running and she
knew that they were hot In pursuit
of the fugitives. Others were follow
ing more slowly and among these she
| saw that there were m AS she
looked there came a sound from the
stair. She recognized the step. She
recognized the voice that called hei
name a moment later and with a de
spairing cry she turned with out
stretched arms to greet the girl for
whom Nathaniel had interrupted the
kings whipping
Gro BE CONTINUED)