Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1912-02-08

d
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 it left behind 1t but a
leaping blaze to light it's way. The
authorities were worse than poYerless.
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 shreking from warm beds. No
night in all 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
81 800. 100000 in solid cash-lay hidden
beneath the library cellar. The first
of these concOurses, the one from the
north, had erept silently forward all
night long. These bore no trace of
uniform. but each man carried over
his shoulder his rifle 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 stern
voice called: Halt! Who comes?''
And then into listening ear was
whispered by each new adherent of
the ranks, Liberty and the repub-
licv
Nearer, upon the road from the east.
a far different army. like giant. nerv
GUS snake, came jerking along the
dark road at much greater speed. 1t
was composed Of understood men for
the most part, ranging from bloated
faced and blear eyed youths to bloated
faced and blear eyed middle age, and
there were bedraggled women far more
fiendish of visage than the men. They
danced, many of them, as they march
ed, and always they sang. sang the
blood maddening song Of the "Marseil-
laise." and never, even in the days
when the tricolor received its baptism
of blood, was the "Marseillaise" more
terrible song than on this night. They
broke open bakeries and meat shops,
groceries and saloons, gorging them
selves with what they wanted and
wasting what they did not. offsetting
expostulation with blows and resist
ance with murder. Men in their beds
heard and paled and women and chill
dren whimpered in fear, and woe be-
tide any who came in their path, for
by and by they MANNED and killed in
mere wanton sport
In a carriage drawn by two gray
horses taken by force from bewil-
dered farmer there rode tall, gaunt
George Blagg. and by his side sat Lii
liam Breed, her gown, once a rich Gre
alton of red silk, soiled and tattered,
the jaunty hat she had once worn re-
placed by gay colorcd silk kerchief
that she had knOtted about her black
hair. Beautiful even in her dishevel-
ment, she was the incarnation of the
riotous spirit that had maddened all
their following, and she it was who
when any period of silence fell for a
moment upon the twisting serpent Of
humanity behind her raised her voice
in the wild song of the "Marseillaise"
Each time as that hymn of destruc-
ton was caught up by those directly
about her she would laugh aloud in
hysterical glee and, sinking once more
beside her consort, would clasp him in
a wild embrace and shower kisses
upon him.
Nearer still. upon the road from the
south, but waiting, there bivouacked
grim company in khaki, men who
rested upon hillside with their guns
close by them in orderly formation.
ready on the word to spring to their
feet at attention. In the road silent
sentries patrolled. Farther back,
half mile, smaller detachment biv-
ouacked; at half mile farther still
another, and so clear to Washington.
These, too, were men of the city type.
but they were the more stalwart ones,
che sturdier class of the unemployed
workmen.
And so these three sorts of humanity
centered toward Forest Iakes-the vir-
lie workmen Of the cities. the ratlike
undermen, the grim and stern stall
warts of the farms and villages-they
in whom still lived the spirit of the
constitution, of the Revolution, Of the
Union!
CHAPTER XIV.
"HROUGH the dark woods at
Forest Lakes there came bur-
ryinp from tho mort barn bo,,,,