Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-11-24

ION would be at the mercy OF the
avenging host from the mainland
and Marion would be his own for
ever! He heard again the deep rum
HE of a heavy gun and from its sullen
defamation he knew that 1t was fired
from a ship at sea. A nearer crash of
returning fire turned him into a de-
serted street down which he ran wild.
ly. on past the last houses Of the
town, until he came to the foot of a
hill up which he climbed more slowly,
painting like a winded animal.
From its top he could look down
upon the scene Of battle. To the east
ward stretched the harbor line with
its rim of fires. a glance showed
him that the fight was not to center
about these. They had served their
purpose, had forced the mainlanders
to seek a landing farther down the
coast. The light Of dawn had already
begun to disl,rsc the thick gloom Of
night, and an eighth Of a mile below
Nathaniel tho Mormon forces were
creeping SLOWLY along the shore. The
pale ghOstly mistiness of the sea hung
like a curtain hotwCen him and what
was beyond, and even as he strained
his eyes to catch a glimpse of the
avenging feet a vivid light leaped out
of the white distance, followed by the
thunder of a cannon. lie saw the head
of the Mormon line falter. In an in
slant 1t had been thrown into con-
fusion. A second shot from the sea-
a storm of cheering voices from out
Of that white chaos of mist-and the
Mormons fell back from the shore in
a panic-strickrn, fleeing mob. Were
those frightened towards the fierce
fighters of whom he had heard so
much? Were they the men who had
made themselves masters of a king.
dom in the land OF their enemies
whose mere name carried terror for a
hundred miles along the coast? He
vas stupeficd, bewildered. He made
10 effort to conceal himself as they
approached III" hill, but drew his pis-
toll, ready to fire down upon them as
they came. Suddenly there was a
change. So quickly that he could
Carcely believe his eyes the flying
Mormons had disappeared. Not a
mar was visible upon that narrow
plain bet Eeen the hill and the sea.
Like a fdge Covey Of quail they had
dropped to the ground, their rifles lost
in that ghostly gloom through which
the voices of the mainlanders came
in fierce cries of triumph. 1t was mag.
nificcnt! Even as the crushing truth
nf ,.Jnt a. oil -,y 49,, 20 I;., tla
fighting blood In his veins leaped at
the sight of 1.-THE pretended effect
of the shots from sea the sham con-
fusion, the disorderly flight, the Won
derful q~uickness and precision with
which the rabble of armed men had
thrown itself into ambush!
Would the mainlanders rush into
the trap? Had some keen eye seen
those shadowy forms dropping
through the mist? Each instant the
ghostly pall that shut out vision sea.
ward seemed drifting away. Nathan
iels staring eyes saw a vague shape
appear in It, an indistinct dirt-gray
blOtch, and he knew that it a a
boat. Another followed, and then an
other; h" heard the sound of oars,
the grinding of keels upon the sand,
and where the Mormons had been a
few moments before the beach was
now alive With mainlanders. In the
growing light he could make out the
kings men below him. inanimate spots
in the middle CT the narrow plain.
Helpless he stood clutching his pistol,
the horror in him growing with each
breath. Could he give no warning?
Could he do nothing-nothing-
At least he could join in the fight!
He ran down the hill, swinging to the
left of the Mormons. Half way, and
he stopped as a laundering cheer
swept up from the shore. The main
landers had started toward the hill!
Without rank, without order-shout-
ing their triumph as they came they
we're rushing blindly into the arms of
the ambush, A Shrek of warning left
Nathaniel's lips. It was drowned in
a crash of rifle fire. Volley after vol
ley burst from that shadowy stretch
of plain. Before the furious fire the
a of the mainlanders crumpled into
ruin. Like chaff before a wind those
behind were swept back. Apparently
they were flying without waiting to
fire a shot, Nathaniel dashed down
into the plain. Ahead Of him the Nor
mons were charging in a solid line.
and in another moment the shore had
become a mass of fighting men. Far
to the left he saw q group of the