Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1911-02-09

farther end of the room and rnotioned
| Nathaniel TO seat opposite him.
we are much prosecuted people,
! Captain Plum, very much prosecuted
! indeed" His wonderful voice trem-
| bled with subdued pathos We
have answered for many sins that
have never been ours. Captain Plum,
and among them are robbery, piracy
and even murder. The people along
| the coasts are deadly enemies to us
who would be theft friends: they
commit crimes in our name and we do
, not retaliate. 1t was not my people
who waylaid your vessel They were
fishermen, probably who came from
the Michigan shore and awaited their
opportunity off Beaver island But I
| shall investigate this; believe me. I
shall Investigate this fully, Captain
| Plnm,"
!, Nathaniel felt something like a
great choking fist shoot up into his
throat. 1t was not a sensation of fear
but of humiliation-the humiliation OF
| defeat, the knowledge OF his own
weakness in the hands oil this man
who had so quickly and so surely
blocked his claim. His quick brain
saw the lutility of argument He
| possessed no absolute proof and he
had thought that he needed none.
Strang saw the flash of doubt in his
face, the hesitancy in his answer; he
! OWNED the working of the others
| brain and in his soft voice, purring
with friendship, he followed up his
| triumph
II symDathize with you" he spoke
gently, and my sympathy and word
shall help you. We do not welcome
strangers among us, for strangers
have usually proved themselves our
enemies and have done us wrong. But
to you | give the freedom of our
kingdom. Search where you will, at
what hours you will, and when you
have found a single proof that your
stolen property is among my people
when you have seen face that you
recognize as one OF the robbers, re-
turn to me and / shall make restitu-
ton and punish the evil-doers."
So intensely he spoke, so filed with
reason and truth were his words. that
Nathaniel thrust out his hand in token
of acceptance Of the kings terms
And as Strang gripped that hand Cap
tain Plum saw the young girls face
over the prophets shoulder--a face,
white as death in its terror, that told
him all he had heard was lie.
And when you have done with my
people" continued the king, you will
50 among that ether race, along the
mainland where men have thrown off
the res >raints of society to give loose
reign to lust and avarice; where the
Indian is brutified that his wife may
be intoxicated by compulsion and
prostituted by violence before his
eyes; where the forest cabins and the
streets of towns are filled with halt
breeds: where there stalk wretches
with withered and fearless eyes. who
are in nowise troubled by recollection
of robbery, rape and murder. And
there you will find whom you are look
ing fort"
Strang had risen to his feet. His
eyes blazed with the fire of smoth-
cred hatred and passion and his great
voice rolled through his beard trem-
ulous with excitement, but still deep
and rich, like the booming of some
melodious instrument. He flung aside
his hat as he paced back and forth !:
his shaggy hair fell upon his Shout
ders; huge veins stood out upon his
forehead--and Nathaniel sat mute as
he watched this lion of a man whose
great throat quivered with the power
that might have stirred d nation--that
might have made him president in
stead OF king. He waited for the
thunder of that throat and his nerves
keyed themselves to meet it's bursting
passion. But when Strang spoke again
it was in voice as soft and as gentle
as a womans
Those are the men who have Will
fled US, Captain Plum; who have GOV
cred US with crimes that We have
never committed; who have driver
our people into groups that they may
be free from depredation: who watcf
!. wild wifeless men, Captain Plum. who
have left families and character be
hind them and who have sought the
: wilderness to escape the penalties O
l law and order 1t is they who would
destroy us. Go among my own people
: first, Captain Plum, and find your los
property if you can: and if You car
= not discover it where in seven year!
not one child has been born out o
wedlock, seek among the Lamanites-
: and my sheriffs shall follow where yo,
place the crime!"
y He had stretched out his arms lik,
one whose plea was of life and death
his face shone with earnestness; hi
: low words throbbed as If his hear
were borne upon them for the inspec
ton of its truth and honor. He wa