Rock Island Argus., 1911-08-26

two blocks beyond fanaticel mob
shouting and curSing. turned and bore
straight toward them. Guns could be
seen on shoulders and torches were
hounted. From the forward autou,o-
bile there came a sharp cracking. a
succession of stsccato snaps like the
ripping OF shingles from q roof. The
running mob stopped. IT fell back.
it scattered Ike chat, and in an in
slant more the autos, keeping evenly
abreast, bumped and jerked over 8
pavement strewn with sickeningly soft
impediments. So through the city
and out into the country they swept
TO roads where they could go but two
abreast and sometimes but single file.
I But always Kelvin was in the center,
and never was there any interference.
A half mile northeast Of the city the
headlights fared on a detachment in
unmistakabIe khaki on botf sides OF
the road. and these saIGted as the i'm
perial escort swept by and cheered
/ and, closing IN behind. marched at
double quick.
The ringing Of that first deep toned
kneu in Washington had been stimuli
taneous with the clang of the same
J
I and from north to south. George
Blagg's own hand had pressed the
/ wireless key which had sent the mes
/ sage flashing in every direction across
/ startled space. Eager fanatics had
received ii and swarmed an iu clad.
unkempt. underfed horde to avenCe
/ the follies of society unOn itself. The
/ horror of 1t was that they did not at
+ tack the sOldiery direct. as Blagg mad
planned, but the better nourished citi-
/ zens, for Blaggs original secret or
+ ganization, bound together with some
/ idea of order. with some sense of phi
lanthropic motive, with some plan of
warfare against the imperial army"
was now augmented by a wild. disor-
dered herd Of the cTiminally inclined.
who. seeing that law and order were
swept away, turned TO mad license.
Out into the residence districts they
swept in packs. like starving wolves,
and sickening scenes of horror eusued.
Wherever q proud home reared itself,
a monument to the industry or the
wit or the greed Of some man. there
were murder and pillage and rapine,
all ending in the torch. and when the
mob swept on it left behind it but q
le2p!nE blaze to liEht its way. The
authorities were worse than pOwerless.
An all seeing eve sweeping that night
across the North American continent
would have found the land Redeemed
bv these many pyres. which lighted a
redness still more terrible. for not only
men and women were put 10 death in
this maniacal orgie Of reprisal, but
little children were slaughtered as they
ran shrie'ling from warm beds. No
night in all the history of the world
had paraUeIad this: no blood lust was
ever so hideouSjv sG-iated, no carnage
was ever SO widespread. for this one
smeaTed continent with blood.
While this raving debauchery took
place over the length Of the land. from
the Atlantic TO the Pacific and from
the lakes 10 the gulf. tI-ee separate
concourses crept under cover Of the
night, one from the north and one from
the south and one from the east, con-
vergent upon Forest Lakes, where the
prize coveted of each army-Brecd's
$500, 100000 in solid cash-!ay hidden
beneath the library cellar The first
of these concOurses. the one from the
north. had crept silently forward all
uniform. but each man carried over
his shoulder his rife or his shotgun.
Some had belts for ammunition, and
others carried their pockets full. They
We're grim, stern men, sane human be-
ings of the country districts whose
eyes and whose minds were clear TO
see the right and the wrong of things,
and their ranks constantly grew. As
each detachment joined them a stern
voice called: Halt. Who comesT"
And then into a listening ear was
whispered by each new adherent of
the ranks, Liberty and the repub-
Iic!'
Nearer, upon the road from the east.
far different army. like a giant. nerv-
GUS snake, came jerking along the
dark road at much greater speed. 1t
was composed Of undersized men for
the most part, ranging from bloated
faced and blaar eyed youths TO blOated
faced and blear eyed middle age, and
there were bedTaCgied women far more
6endish Of visaGe than the men. They
danced, many OF them, as they march
ed, and always they sang, sang the
blood mad1eniug song Of the "Marseil-
laiSe," and never. eVen in the days
when the tricolOr received its baptism
OF blood, was the "MarseuIaise" a more
terrible song than on this night They
broke open bakeries and meat shops,
groceries and saloons, gorEing them
selves with what they wanted and
wasting what they did not offsetting
expostulaUon with blows and resist
ance with murder. Men IN their beds
heard and paled and women and chill
dren whimpered IN fear, and woe be
tide any who came in their path. for
by and by they manned and killed in
mere wantOn sport
In a carriage drawn by two gray
horses taken by force from bewiI-
deTed farmer there rode tail, gaunt
George BlaGg, and by his side sat LII
Ian Breed, her gown, once a rich Gre
alton Of red silk. soiled and tattered.
the jaunty hat she had once worn re
placed by a gay coiorcd silk kerchief &