The Ordway new era., 1910-12-16


Az the young man kneeled before
the post Nathaniel heard smothered
sob at his side which he knew came
from Obadiah.
"Come. dad" he said softly. Il
can't stand this. Let's get away!"
He showed the councillor back. Tho
lash whistled through the air behind
him. AS 1t fell there came q piercing
cry. It was q woman's voice, and
with a snarl like that of . tortured
animal the old man struck down Ma.
thaniers arm and clawed his way
back to the edge Of the line. On the
opposite side there was a surging in
the crowd and as MacDougall raised
his whip woman burst through.
my God!" cried Nathaniel.
Its"
He left the rest Of the words un-
spoken. His veins leaped with dre.
A single sweep Of his powerful arms
and he had forced himself through the
innermost line Of spectators. Within
a dozen feet Of him stood strangs
wife. her beautiful hair disheveled. her
face deadly white. her bosom heaving
as II she had been running. In a mo-
ment her eyes had taken In the situa-
tion-the man at the stake, the up
raised lash-and Nathaniel. With .
sobbing. breathless cry. she flung her.
self in front Of MacDougall and threw
her arms around the kneeling man,
her hair covering him in a glistening
veil. For an instant her eyes were
raised to Nathaniel and he saw In
them that same agonized appeal that
had called to him through the kings
window. The striking muscles Of his
arms tightened like steel. One Of the
guards sprang forward and caught the
girl roughly by the arm and attempted
to drag her away. In his excitement
he pulled her head back and her hair
trailed In the dirt. The sight was
maddening. From Nathaniers throat
there came a fierce cry and in single
leap he had cleared the distance to
the guard and had driven his INST
against the officers head with the
sickening force Of a sledge hammer.
The man fell without groan. In
another flash he had drawn hisStnife
and severed the thongs that ht0 the
man at the stake. For nom. his
face was very near the girls he
saw her lips form the glad cr!v= ich
he did not wait to hear.
He turned like an enraged beast to-
ward the circle Of dumbfounded spec
tators and launched himself at the
second guard. From behind him there
sounded shout and he caught the
gleam 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. Neil!" 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 follnsed. L
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 Croche. 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 on the floor hardly
daring to breathe through fear of be-
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 1t 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
the rumble Of gun.
"Arbor, Croche. overtake those men
and kill them!"
With a wild curse the chief Of sher-
ifs dashed down the stairway, and as
she heard him go the terror of Winn.
somes heart seemed to turn her blood
cold. She knew what that command
meant. She knew that her father
would obey it. AS the daughter Of the
chief Of sheriffs more than one burn.
ing secret was hidden in her breast,
more than one OF those frightful dag
gers that had pricked 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 II the prophet said kill. he would
kill. For full minute she crouched
in her concealment. 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 sheriffs