The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1911-02-15
rCOURAGE Of
CAPTAIN PLUM
o. JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD
ILLUSTRATIONS @ AGW GMIINER

breath within the temple. Freeing
himself of the crowd he ran to the
farther side of the building. A fourth
fire biazed In his face. But on this
side there was no cannon: scarcely
q score OF men were guarding the rear
of the temple.
For full minute he stood concealed
in the gloom. He realized now that II
would be useless to return to Obadiah.
The old councillor could probably have
told him all that he had discovered for
himself: that Marion had gone to the
castle-that Strang intended to make
her his bride that night. But did
Obadiah know that the castle had
been abandoned? Did he know that
the kings wives had sought refuge in
the temple. and did he know where
Marion was hiddenf Nathaniel could
assure himself but one answer: Oba-
diah. struck down by his strange mad
ness. was more ignorant than he him
self OF what had occurred at St James.
While he paused q heavy noise
arose that quickened his heartbeats
and sent the blood through his veins
III Win t4ClltmCuI
By the shore there came the roar OF
= cannon. 1t was closely followed by
second and third. and hardly was
the night shaken BY their thunder
than . mighty cheering Of men swept
up from the nre-rimmed coast. The
battle had begun, Nathaniel leaped
out into the glow OF the great blazing
IRE beyond the temple; he heard q
warning shout as he darted past the
men: for an instant he saw their white
faces staring at him from the freight
heard second shout. which he
knew was q command-and was gone.
Half dozen rifles cracked behind him
and q yell of Joyful defiance burst
from his throat as the bullets Kissed
over his head. Ths 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 heavy gun and from its sullen
defamation he knew that II was fired
from a ship at sea. A nearer crash of
returning fire turned him into a de-
serted street down which he ran wild
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 a winded animal.
From Its top he could look down
upon the scene Of battle. To the east.
ward stretched the harbor line with
its rim of fires. glance showed
him that the fight was not to center
about these. They had served their
purpose. had forced the mainlanders
to seek 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 sea hung
like a curtain between him and what
was beyond. and even as he strained
his eyes to catch a glimpse OF the
avenging feet a vivid light leaped out
Of the white distance. followed by the
thunder OF a cannon. He saw the head
OF the Mormon line falter. In an In
slant 1t had been thrown into con
fusion. A second shot from the sea-
Q 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 a king
dom in the land Of their enemies
whose mere name carried terror for a
hundred miles along the coast? He
vas stupefied. bewildered. He made
no effort to conceal himself as they
approached the hill. but drew his pis-
toll. ready to IRE down upon them as
they came. Suddenly there was a
change. So quickly that he could
carcely believe his eyes the flying
Mormons had disappeared. Not a
man was visible upon that narrow
plain bet ween the hill and the sea.
Like q hdge covey Of quail they had
dropped to the ground. their rifles lost
In that ghostly gloom through which
the voices of the mainlanders came