The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-06-02

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turned suddenly whits, ana N almost
inaudible cry fell from His lips. There
was no longer . cabin n the clear.
ing! Where It had been there was
gathered crowd Of men and boys.
Above their heads he saw . thin nlm
Of smoke and he knew what hae hap
pened. Marion's home had burned!
But what was the crowd doing? It
hung close in about the smoldering
ruins as II every person In It were
striving to reach q common center.
Surely mere fire would not gather
and hold throng like this.
+ Nathaniel rose to his feet and
thrust his head and shoulders from
his hiding-place. He heard . loud
shout near him and drew back quick
~ as 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 change that added to Nathani.
els bewilderment. He heard loud
voices, the excited shouting Of men
and the shrill cries Of boys, and the
crowd suddenly began to move thin
ming itself out until It was racing In
a black stream toward the Mormon
city. In his excitement Nathaniel hur.
ried toward the path. From the con.
cealment Of clump of bushes he
watched the people as they rushed
past him dozen PAGES away. Be.
hind all the others there came q figure
that drew sharp cry from him as
he leaped from his hiding-place. It
was Obadiah Price.
OBADIAH" he called. "obadiah
Price!"
The old man turned. His face was
livtd. He was chattering to himself,
and he chartered still as he ran up to
Nathaniel. He betrayed no surprise
at seeing him, and yet there was the
insane grip Of steel in the two hands
that clutched fiercely at Nathaniel's.
You have come in time, Natl" he
painted joyfully. "You have come in
time! Hurry-hurry-hurry-"
He ran back into the clearing, with
Nathaniel close at his side. and point.
ed to the smoking ruins of the cabin
among the lilacs.
They were killed last night" he
cried shrilly. Somebody murdered
them-and burned them with the
house! They are dead-dead!"
"Who?" shouted Nathaniel.
Obadiah had stopped and was rub
bling and twisting his hands in his old.
mad way.
1.-THE old folks. Ho, no, the old
folks. of course! They are dead
dead-dead-"
He fairly shrieked the words. Then,
for q moment, he stood tightly clutch.
ing his thin hands over his chest in
powerful effort to control himself.
"They are dead!" he repeated.
He spoke more calmly, and We,
there was something SO terrible in
his eyes, something SO harshly vi.
brant Of citation in the quivering pas.
sion Of his voice that Nathaniel felt
himself filed with strange horror.
He caught him by the arm, shaking
him as he would have shaken child.
Where is Marion?" he asked. Tell
me. Obadiah-where is Marion?"
The councillor seemed not to have
heard him. A singular change came
into his face and his eyes travelled be-
yond Nathaniel. Following his glance
the young man saw that three men
had appeared from the scorched
shrubbery about the burned house and
were hurrying toward them. Without
shifting his eyes Obadiah spoke to
him quickly.
chose are kings sheriffs, Nat" he
said. They know me. In a moment
they will recognize you. The United
States warship Michigan has Just ar.
rived In the harbor to arrest StranR.
If you can reach the cabin and hold II
for an hour you will be saved. Quick
you must run
where Is Marion?"
'At the cabin! She is at"
Nathaniel waited to hear no more,
but sped toward the breach In the
forest that marked the beginning of
the path to Obadiah's. The shouts of
the kings men came to him unheeded
At the edge Of the woods he glanced
back and saw that they had overta.
ken the councillor. AS he ran he drew
his pistol and in his wild Joy he flung
back shout Of defiance to the men
who were pursuing him. Marion was
at the cabin-and government ship
had come to put an end to the reign
Of the Mormon king! He shouted
Marion's name as he came in sight
of the cabin; he cried it aloud as he
bounded UP the low steps.
'Marion-Marion-'
In front Of the door that led to the
tiny chamber in which he had IA,
ken Obadiah's gold he saw q figure.
For moment he was blinded by his
sudden dash from the light Of day into
the gloom Of the cabin, and he saw
only that q figure was standing there
as still as death. His pistol dropped
to the floor. He stretched out his
arms, and hts voice sobbed IN its en-.