The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1911-05-19

from his throat as the bullets Kissed
over his head. The battle had begun!
Another hour and the Mormon king
dom would be at the mercy OF the
avenging host from the mainland
and Marion would be his own for
ever! He heard again the deep rum
HE of a heavy gun and from its sullen
defamation he knew that it was fired
from a ship at sea. A nearer crash of
returning fire turned him into a de-
ly, on past the last houses Of the
town, until he came to the foot of a
hill up which he climbed more slowly,
painting like q winded animal.
From its top he could look down
upon the scene Of battle. To the east.
ward stretched the harbor line with
it's rim of fires. A glance showed
him that the fight was not to center
about these. They had served their
purpose had forced the mainlanders
to seek a landing farther down the
coast. The light Of dawn had already
begun to dispense the thick gloom of
night, and an eighth of a mile below
Nathaniel the Mormon forces were
creeping slowly along the Shore. The
pale ghostly mistiness Of the e hung
like a curtain between him and what
was beyond, and even Is he strained
his eyes to catch a glimpse Of the
avenging f~et q vivid light leaped out
of the white distance. followed by the
thunder Of a cennon. He saw the head
Of the Mormon line falter. In an in
slant it had been thrown into con.
fusion. A second shot from the sea-
a storm Of cheering voices from out
of that white chaos of mist-and the
Mormons fell back from the shore in
a panic-stricken. fleeing mob. Were
those frightened towards the fierce
fighters of whom he had heard so
much? Were they the men who had
made themselves masters Of q king.
dom in the land of their enemies
whose mere name carried terror for a
hundred miles along the coast? He
vas stupef1ed, bewildered. He made
no effort to conceal himself as they
approached the hill, but drew his pis-
toll, ready to fire down upon them as
they came. Suddenly there was a
change. So quickly that he could
scarcely believe his eyes the flying
Mormons had disappeared. Not a
man was visible upon that narrow
plain between the hill and the sea.
Like a huge covey of quail they had
dropped to the ground, their rifles lost
in that ghostly gloom through which
the voices of the mainlanders came
in fierce cries of triumph. 1t was mag
nifcent! Even as the crushing truth
of what 1t all meant came to him, the
fighting blood In his veins leaped at
the sight of 1.-THE pretended effect
Of the shots from sea the sham con-
fusion, the disOrderly flight, the won
derful quickness and precision with
which the rabble of armed men had
thrown itself into ambush!
Would the m%ainlanders rush into
the trap? Had some keen y seer
those shadowy forms dropping
through the mist? Each instant the
ghostly pail that shut out vision sea.
ward seemed drifting away. Nathan
iels staring eyes saw a vague shape
appear in It, an indistinct dirt-gray
blotch, and he knew that it was a
boat. Another followed, and then an,
other; he heard the sound of oars
the grinding of keels upon the sand
and where the Mormons had been g
few moments before the beach was
now alive with m%ainlanders. In the
growing light he could make out the
kings men below him, inanimate spots
In the middle Of the narrow plain
Helpless he stood clutching his pistol
the horror in him growing with each
breath. Could he give no warning
Could he do nothing-nothing-
At least he could join in the fight!
He ran down the hill, swinging to the
left of the Mormons. Half way, ant
he stopped as a laundering cheel
swept up from the shore. The main
landers had started toward the hill
Without rank, without order-shout
ing their triumph as they came the!
were rushing blindly into the arms O
the ambush! A shrek of warning lef
Nathaniel's lips. 1t was drowned IL
a crash Of rifle fire. Volley after vol
ley burst from that shadowy stretcl
Of plain. Before the furious fire tn
a of the "~ainlanders crumpled int
ruin. Like chat before a wind those
behind were swept back. APPARENT!