The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-09-22

predicted. but think that even Peavy
would have been safe In this flying
wedge Of ours"
The automobile rolled out into the
street and took its place in the center
OF the hollow square. Both before and
behind 1t were six automobiles, three
abreast, and one was upon each side
Each Of these was a seven passenger
car. and In the tonneau Of each rested
upon tripod. its sweep above the
head of the chauffeur. a cylinder of
shining brass. Behind each cylinder
stood q stalwart soldier in khaki, and
two Others sat upon the seat, each
soldier was further accoutered with
rifles and small arms. and thus. sur.
rounded by fourteen Calling guns and
spare men to man them. the fifteenth
automobile. which contained Kelvin,
took command Of the expedition. There
was shrill whistle from Rensselaer,.
the soldiers fell away from before the
machines like chaff. and the strange
battery sprang forward.
Upon the cross street at the end of
the block the people quickly gave way.
but out from an intersecting avenue
two blocks beyond. fanatical mob.
shouting and cursing. turned and bore
straight toward them. Guns could be
seen on shoulders and torches were
founted. From the forward automo-
bile there came sharp cracking. a
succession Of staccato snaps like the
ripping Of shingles from a roof. The
running mob stopped. 1t fell back,
It scattered like chaff, and in an in.
slant more the autos, keeping evenly
abreast, bumped and jerked over a
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.
But always Kelvin was In the center,
and never was there any interference.
A half mile northeast of the city the
headlights Jared on a detachment In
unmistakable khaki on both sides Of
the road. and these saluted 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
knell in Washington had been stimuli
taneous with the clang Of the same
grim death watch from east to west
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 it and swarmed an Ill clad.
unkempt, underfed horde to avenge
the follies of society upon itself. The
horror of 1t was that they did not at
tack the soldiery direct, as Blagg had
planned. but the better nourished citi-
zens, for Blagg's 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 criminally inclined.
who, seeing that law and order were
swept away, turned to mad license
Out into the residence districts they
and sickening scenes Of horror ensued
Wherever a 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 1t left behind 1t but a
leaping blaze to light its way. The
authorities were worse than powerless
An all seeing eye sweeping that night
across the North American continent
would have found the land Redeemed
by these many pyres. which lighted
redness still more terrible. for not only
men and women were put to death in
this maniacal orgie of reprisal. but
little children were slaughtered as they
ran shrieking from warm beds. No
night in al the history of the world
had paralleled this: no blood lust was
ever so hideously satiated! no carnage
was ever so widespread. for this one
smeared 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 to the gulf. three 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-Breed's
81 500, 100000 In solid cash--lay hidden
beneath the library cellar. The first
Of these concourses, the one from the
north. had crept silently forward all
night long. These bore no trace of
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
were 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 comes?"
And then into a listening ear was
whispered by each new adherent of
the ranks. Liberty and the repub-
licl''
Nearer, upon the road from the east,
4 far different army, like a giant nery-