Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-04
Il boys head had risen from the

a long way OF an insistent, animal
like yell with peculiar quaver In its
final note. She did not know that 1t
was the famous McBriar rallying cry,
and that trouble inevitably followed
fast in the wake Of its sounding. She
knew only that 1t fitted in with her
childhood's conceptions Of the Indians
warwhoop. But she did know that
In an instant after 1t had been borne
along the wind she had seen thing
happen which she would have disbe-
lieved had she heard It from the lips
of narrator.
She saw In one breathing space the
half.raised figure Of Fetch McNash un-
der the quilts OF his bed. and that of
young Jeb under the covers Of his
pallet. She saw in the next breathing
space, with no realization Of how 1t
had happened, both of them crouched
low at the center Of the floor. the IA
ther's eyes glued to the front door.
the sons to the back. The older man
bent low, like q runner on his mark
awaiting the starting signal. His right
hand held the rife at his front, his
left lightly touched the floor with
fingers spread to brace his posture,
and his face was tensely upturned.
So, while she counted ten. father
and son crouched in precisely similar
poses, one covering the barred door
at the front with a repeating rife. the
other seeming to stare through the
massive timbers of that at the back
with leveled pistol. No one spoke. No
one moved, but the regular swelling
breath of sleep had died. for every
pair Of lips in the place was holding
its breath, bated.
Then came fresh pounding Of hoofs
and scattering Of gravel and q chorus
Of angry, incoherent voices sounded
above the noise of hight-or was it
pursuit! Whatever words we're being
shouted out there in the night were
swallowed in the medley, except
wake Of oaths that seemed to doat be-
hind.
The noise, like the other which had
preceded it, died swiftly, but in the
instant that it lasted Fletch McNash
had lifted his left hand and brought
his rife to the ready" and his son had
instinctively thrust forward his
cooked revolver.
For . full minute, perhaps, the girl
in tho bed had the picture Of two fig.
ures bent low like bronze emblems of
motionless preparation, yet not syl.
liable had been spoken. and when. from
quite . distance beyond. there came
the snap Of . single shot, followed BY
tho retort Of . volley. they still neir
thor spoke nor moved. But at last,
% II BY one impulse. they rose and
turned to face each other.
Then. and then only, was there ut
terance Of any sort inside the house.
In voice 20 low that Juanita would
not have heard Il save that every
sense was painfully alert, Fletch ssid
to his son: II reckon thor wars on
again.
Tho boy nodded sullenly. and the
father commanded in IN almost inau.
dible undertone:
Lay down."
The boy went back 30 his pallet and
the father 70 his bed. For long time
there was dead silence. and then one
by ono they took up again their chorus
Of SHORES. Tomorrow might bring chaos
but tonight offered sleep. Still the
girl lay casing helplessly up at the
raftefs and wondering what things
happened out there in the grim. un.
communicative silence Of the slopes.
A little while ago she had been
dreading what might como. Now, in
an access Of terror. she thought Of
what must como.
'Ther wars on" That was enough.
Evidently there had been hell" over
there at the dance. She had reached
the country Just In time to see new
and sanguinary chapter open.
She would In all probability sec
people she actually knew. with whom
she had spoken, and whose hands she
had taken, the victims Of this brutal
And in the face Of such things these
human beasts could sleep!
But one was not sleeping, and after
- WAAAAO oAAOA0 VIC 0AOA AA6 6AOu0U0G0IO
Good Anse Talbot rose and knelt be-
fore the hearth. There were still .
few glowing embers there. and % he
bent and at last took the knotted
hands away from his scanned face they
cast feeble light upon his features
and upon the bare feet that twisted
on the stone fireplace.
It was tortured face, and as the
girl watched him she realized for the
first time the Significance of the words
Ito wrestle in prayer" It suddenly
came to her that she had never before
seen . man really pray. For an hour
the backwoods missionary knelt there,
pleading with his God for his unrepen-
tant people.
Outside single whippoorwill walled
These poor hills! These
poor hills!"
(To Be Continued.)
Data obtained by the United States
bureau Of education from forty three
/ clFAR CnMplExl0N