The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-08

and his heart beat excitedly with hope:
| Where there was rice there were wild
| fowl. and surely where there were wild
| fowl. there would be a punt or II canoe
| In his easerness he ran, and where the
| path ended, the flags and rice beaten
| into the mud and water. he stopped with
an eXutant cry. Al his feet was a CA
noe. 1t was wet. as though Just drawn
| out OF the water. and Il freshly used
| paddle was lying across he bow Paus-
ing bu TO take n quick and cautious
glance about him he showed tho fran
! craft into the lake and with a few quiet
strokes buried himself in the rice grass.
| When he emerged from II he was half
a mile from the shore.
For long time, he sat motionless'
Far % to the south and ID west he ii,, CO.. could make
out the dim outline OF Beaver island.
While over the trail he had come. mile
upon mile, lay the .glistening dunes: dunes
sand and that distant coast OF the Nor
| mon kingdom Marion was making her
way back TO bondage. Nathaniel had
Long before he could intercept her she
would have reached the island When
he started again he padded slowly. and
laid out for himself the plan that he
was to follow. There must be no mistake
this time. no error In Judgment. no rash
ness In his daring. He would lie in hid :.
darkness he would hunt down Strang
and Kill him. After that he would fly to
his canoe and escape. A little later, per-
haps that very night II fate played the
Marion. And yet as he went over and
over. his scheme. whipping himself into
caution-into cool dcliberation-thcre
burned in his blood Il fire that once or
twice made him set his teeth hard, a
fire that defied extinction, that smol-
dercd only 10 await the breath that
would fan it into fierce blaze 1t was
! the fire that had urged him into the
rescue at the whipping post, that had
sent him single hanGed TO invade the
kings castle, that had hurled him into
the hopeless battle upon the shore. He
swore at himself softly. laughlngly, as
he padded steadily toward Beaver ISL
and,
The sun mounted straight and hot over
his head. he Daddled more slowly, and
rested more frequently. as it descended
INFO the west, but ii still lacked two
hours OF sinking behind the island forest
when the white water run OF the shore
came within his vision. He had meant
To hold off the coast until the approach
Of evening, but changed his mind and
landed, concealing his canoe in a spot
which he marked well, for he knew II
would soon be useful to him again. Deep
shadows were already gathering in the
forest and through these Nathaniel made
his way slowly in the direction OF st.
James. Between him and the town lay
Marion's home and the path that led
to Obadiah s. Once more the spirit of
impat!ence. OF action, stirred within
home? Involuntarily he changed his
course so that it would bring him to
the clearing. He assured himself that
IL would do no harm; that he still would
take no chances.
He came out in the strip of dense for
est between the clearing and st. James,
worming his way cautiously through the
underbrush until he could look out into
the opening. a single glance and he
drew back In astouishment. He looked
again, and his face turned suddenly
white, and an almost inaudible cry fell
from his lips. There was no longer a
there was gathered a crowd Of men and
boys. Above their heads he saw u film
OF smoke and he knew what had hap
pened. Marion's home had burned! But
what was the crowd doing? II hung close
in about the smoldering ruins as IL every
person in II were striving TO reach a
not gather and hold a, throng like this.
Nathaniel rose 10 his feet and thrust
his head and shoulders from his hiding
place. He heard a loud shout, near him
and drew back quickly as a boy rushed
madly across the opening toward the
crowd, crying out at the top of his voice.
He had come out OF the path that led
to ST. James. No sooner had he reached
the group about the burned cabin than
there came a change that adddd to Ma
thaniers bewiderment. He heard loud
voices the excited shouting OF men and
the shrill cries of boys. and the crowd
suddenly began to move, thinning itself
out until it was racing in black stream
toward the Mormon city. In his excite
ment Nathaniel hurried toward the path.
From the concealment OF n clump of
bushes he watched the people as they
rushed past him a dozen PAGES away.
Behind all the others there came a figure
that drew a sharp cry from him as he
leaped from his hiding place. 1t was
Obadiah Price,
Obadiah! he called. Obadiah
The old man turned. His face ves
livid. He was chattering to himself and
he chartered still as he ran up 10 Ma
ing him, and yet there was the Insane
strip of steel in the two hands that
clutched fierceIy at Nathaniers.
You have come in time. Nat"' he
time! y-hurry-hurry-"
He ran back into the clearing. with
Nathaniel close al his side, and pointed
to the smoking ruins OF the cabin among
"TheJ were killed last night" he cried
shrilly.. Somebody murdered them-and
burned them with the houseI They are
dead-deadr
"Who?' shouted Nathaniel.
| Obadiah had stopped and was rubbing
and twisting his hands In his old. mad
"The old folks. Ho, no. the old folks
dead"
He fairly shrieked the words Then
for moment. he stood tightly clutch
! ing his thin hands over his chest in a
powerful effort TO control himself
| 'They are dead"' he repeated.
He spoke more calmly. and yet there
was something SO terrible in his eyes
something harsby vibrant OF elatior
in the quivering passion of his voice that
Nathaniel felt himself filled with q
strange horror. He caught him by the
arm, shaking him as he would have
| shaken a child,
"Wbere is MarIon?" he asked, "Ter
! me. Obadiah-7-where Is Marion?"
The councillor seemed not to have
heard him. A singular change came into
| his face and his eyes travelled beyond
! Nathaniel. Following his glance the
young man saw that three men had ap-
peared from the scorched shrubbery
about the burned house and were hurry
| ing toward them Without shifting his