Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-02-03
CHAPTER discontinued,

Suddenly he almost fell over a fig
ure in mis- path. 1t was an old woman
mumbling and sobbing incoherently as
she stumbled weakly in the direction
Of the temple. Like an inspiration
the thought came to him that here
was his opportunity of gaining admit
lance to that multitude of women and
children. He seized the old woman by
the arm and spoke words of courage
to her as he half carried her on her
way. A few minutes more and a blaze
Of light burst upon them and the great
square in which the temple was stu
ated lay open before them. Half
hundred yards ahead a fire was burn
ing; oil and pine sent their lurid
flame high up into the night, and in
the thick gloom behind it, intensified
by the binding glare, Nathaniel saw
the shadows Of men. He caught the
old woman in his arms and went on
boldly. He passed close to thin line
of waiting men, saw the faint CLINT of
freight on their rifles and staggering
past them unchallenged with his
weight he stopped for a moment to
look back. The effect was startling.
Beyond the three great fires that
blaZed around the temple the clearing
was bathed in sea of light; in it's
concealment of giant trees the temple
was buried in gloom. From the gloom
a hundred cool men might slaughter
five times their number charging
across that death square
Nathaniel could not repress a shud-
der as he looked Screened behind
each of the three fires was a cannon.
He figured that there were more than
a hundred rifles in that silent Gordon
Of men. What was there on the oppo-
site side of the temple?
He turned with the old woman and
joined the throng that was seething
about the temple doors. There were
women, children and old men, crush
ing and crowding, fighting with panic
stricken fierceness for admittance to
the thick log walls. Through the doors
there came the low thunder of count
less voices pierced by the shrill cries
of little children. Foot by foot Ma
thaniel fought his way up the steps.
At the top were drawn a dozen men
forming barriers with their rifles. One
of them showed him back.
Not you!" he shouted. This is
for the women!"
Nathaniel fell back, filled with hor-
ror. A glance had shown him the vast
dimly lighted interior of the temple
packed to suffocation. What sins had
this people wrought that 1t thus feared
the vengeance of the men from the
mainland! He felt the sweat break
out upon his face as he thought of
Marion being in that mob tired and
fainting with her terrible days ex-
perience-perhaps dying under the
panic-stricken feet of those stronger
than herself. He hoped now for that
which at first had filled him with de-
spair-that Strang had hidden Marion
away from the terror and suffocation
of this multitude that fought for it's
breath within the temple. Freeing
himself of the crowd he ran to the
farther side OF the DulIulng. A fourth
fire blazed in his face. But on this
side there was no cannon; scarcely
a score of men were guarding the rear
of the temple.
For a full minute he stood concealed
in the gloom. He realized now that it
would be useless to return to Obadiah.
The old councillor could probably have
told him all that he had discovered for