Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-06-25

spiiublhk loTh iuto inc Optu' 1 saw
the devils come. 1t was as il hell hat
broken open and belched them forth
"Shawnees!" roared Brady. Give
It to emf" and he pulled trigger.
Describe what followed no mar
could. II was pandemonium. uproar
action. no two seconds the same.
fired twice. three times. leaping bach
I TO grasp a gun from the bench. and
cropping my way through smoke. My
eyes smarted, perspiration streamed
down my face. heard the bark OF
rifles. voices calling within. wild echo
ing yells without. over the barrel OF
my rifle could distinguish the naked
forms OF savages leaping amid the
smoke wreaths, stumbling. clutching
at the air with empty hands. Then all
at once they disappeared. vanished as
il by magic. Smoke chung to the
ground, yet amid its swirls l could
perceive no movement: the fierce yell
ing ceased. What this sudden cessa'
ton meant l could not guess, but my
hand reached ~instinctively for powder
and ball. Then another yell. louder,
more deadly with ferocity, smote my
ears; bullets chugged into the logs,
some n near me gave utterance to a
roar Of pain, and blows crashed
against the barred door. l thrust my
rifle fo~rward-a tomahawk struck the
protruding barrel as | pulled trigger,
and | was flung backward to the floor.
blood streaming from my shoulder.
could hardly breathe in the thick
smoke: ! could see nothing, yet out of
the babel OF noise | was conscious OF
Brady's voice yelling an order:
The door! Barricade the door,"
staggered to my feet and dragged
the bench forward; some one gripped
the table along with me, and together
we hurled it on top, our bodies holding
it there. l had dropped my rifle. but
some one thrust another into my hand.
Blood streamed down into my eyes
from a cut on my forehead, binding
me so l saw nothing, yet my fingers
touched a hand. Even then | felt the
thrill of that contact.
You. Rene! Go back, For Gods
sake, go back" | sobbed breathlessly.
Just an instant she grasped me.
chung to me, her head pressing against
my sleeve.
Yes. monsieur"
Then she was gone; I reached out
for her, but she was no longer there.
Tomahawks crashed into the wood Of
the door; there was a sound of splin-
tering. Brady ripped out an oath, a
wild yell OF triumph echoed without.
Through a nearby loop-hole some say.
age thrust his gun, and fired blindly,
the sudden flash lighting the murk. In
the instant red glow | caught a
glimpse of the interior-of a body ~
ing before the fireplace, of Schultz still
on his knees. rifle in hand, of Brady
gripping an ak, his head bare, a ghast-
ly wound on the side OF his face. Then
the smoke hid all.
Something crashed against the door,
shaking the whole cabin; again and
again the blow fell. the tough wood
bursting asunder, the stout bar bend
ing, yet swapping back once more as
the sockets held. Amid the din Of
shouts, the crash of wood, my eyes
met Brady's.
You re hurt?"
"Ay!" splitting u blood before he
could answer. Jaw shot"
The door crashed in, the great butt
OF a tree coming with it, and half
blocking the passage. All that re-
manned was instantly filled with saw
age figures. Into the mass Of them |
fired my last shot. the fame of dis
charge soaring the hideous faces.
Then I was hurled Il the right, Shout
der to shoulder with Schultz, gripping
my gun barrel with both hands, swing
of a savage, drove the butt into the
face of another; saw the fash of a
tomahawk. held up for an instant the
soldiers Keeling body, only to throw 1t
aside; smashed the red hand held
out to grip him as he wen down; drew
back a step in search of more room,
and, with ms mighty sweep of my
weapon cleared a circle before me.
God! 1t was CHASTITY, inhuman. devil
ish. Those behind pushed and yelled;
there was no escape! | saw painted
faces, naked shoulders; wild eyes
glared hatred into mine; tomahawk
and knife flashed. The butt of my gun
smashed, | gripped the iron, my teeth
clinched, and blood on fire. | had no
sense of fear left, no consciousness Of
bruise those hideous faces. to batter
them into pulp. The rage Of conflict
seized me; there swept over me the
ferOcity of the insane.
| gave back, compelled by the mere
force Of numbers hurled against me,
yet kept clear a space no savage left
unhurt. | felt in my arms the strength
of a dozen men, and 10 the grip Of a
red hand reached me. The fiends
snarled and struggled, but the fierce
swing OF the iron bar crushed them
back. 1t was twilight where | stood at
bay, the narrow opening. almost blot.
ted out by those struggling figures
striving to enter, to me, was a mere
blotch, an inferno OF movement and
sound. Through a dim. red haze, where
blood dripped before my eyes. | had
glimpees OF uplifted arms, OF distort-
ed faces, OF glittering weapons. Once
declaring that this had never hap.