The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-01-05

In the early morning, before sunrise,
the world seemed very gray and dis.
NAL, and great clouds were again gath
cred about the summit of the peaks,
At the outlet the white a
dashed themselves upon the rocks with
more than their wonted fury and the
voices Of the speaking wires were
plaintive. Presently the great eagle
began to scream loudly, sailing in wide
circles as If watching for the wonders
that were impending, and big ravens
went by-omens of evil.
The medicine man again sought his
lodge, and his tremulous voice rose In
loud invocation while the men stood
around. silent.
The women stopped the laughter of
their children. for the day was preg-
nant with great happenings.
They were firm in their belief that
the old man knew all that wal going
to occur, but he had refused any fur
Their explanations, merely bidding them
to await the outcome of his speech
with the gods.
He had peeled a long, straight sap
ling and fastened to it things that be-
longed to his magic-teeth and claws
of grizzlies, hair from the bell Of a
moose. dyed feathers of the eagle and
bustard. and the whole thing was in
shape like a great lance.
Then he slowly went up on the track,
where 1t passed near the outlet, and
dug away some of the broken stone
that had been placed between the ties.
making a small hole into which he
pushed the butt of his sapling. aslant.
Then he sat, arrayed in the full glory
of his wal paint, with the lance in
cnned toward the east whence the fire
wagon would come. 1t passed beneath
his right armpit, braced between his
elbow and his ribs. and was held firmly
in his long, sinewy hand.
A short distance away. perched on
an immense boulder. the men waited;
and further away the women stood
with babies sleeping peacefully in
their hoods. They were stricken with
awe, not knowing whether the skies
would fall, or the mountains totter, or
the foods rise to engulf the invaders.
Thus they waited long. confident in
the assurance of the old medicine
man, until a strange, low rumbling was
heard.
Then, in the distance, rose a shrek
prolonged, vibrating, ear-piercing-
and a roar that overcame the voice Of
the torrent. And 1t was growing loud
er and louder every moment.
Suddenly, from behind the long
curve In the line, appeared the mon
strous engine. belching smoke, shak-
ing the earth, painting swiftly up the
grade, with a grinding. ~clanking, crush
ing soundl
The nan at the throttle saw the
half-naked savage with his weapon,
and again the air was torn by an in
fernal shrek, while steam belched
from the exhaust and brakes ground
the wheels.
But there was not sufficient time to
stop. The prodigious fire-wagon came
on devouringly, while the man sat
there calmly. stolidly. trusting his
gods.
There was one last shout of warn
ing from the cab as the locomotive
hurled itself upon the red man, spin
tering his lance and sweeping him
away, a gruesome mass, into the rag
ing waters beneath.
Then it went on up the grade, along
1.-THE shelf, away to the land of the set
ting sun, where people were waiting
to acclaim the triumphant arrival of
the mogul Of civilization.
The women wept and the children
shrieked; but the men remained silent,
for their Manitou had been conquered
and the spirits had fled, leaving the
valley still SCARED by the wounds in
ficted by the invaders.
They had failed to resent this desc
Grafton, for now the peaks were again
glistening in the sunlight. the clouds
dispersed, the flood was still within its
bounds. and the body of their priest
had disappeared beneath the turmoil
that never gave back what its mighty
NAV closed upon.
They stood there, aghast and sor-
rowing, for the gods had forsaken the
land.