The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-01-13

high as 1t might have been, nor as
thick or strong. The tops of the logs
of which it had been built were not
even pointed. 1t did not seem to have
been pierced with suiliciency of holes
for rifles. Indeed Mr.. Kehr's stockade
was not so much defense as temp
tation. His real defenses began just
inside. For twenty feet the ground
was pitted like sieve, in each pit a
pointed stake had been planted. up
right. Within this ring of mischance
were vicious entanglements Of barbed
wire.
In Mr. Kehr's plan Of defense the
stockade would be surrendered after a
mere show of resistance, the strikers
swarming over the top would become
entangled among the staked pits and
the barbed wire like flies in spiders
web and then Kehr could make them
sorry that they had ever been born. He
had two machine guns placed on an
eminence from which they could sweep
the whole inner ring of the stockade..
He had plenty of rifles, plenty of am.
munition, and what was more impor-
tant he had plenty of men who could
be relied on to shoot down their fell
low men.
If by any chance the stockade and
the entanglements were carried, the
assailants would be confronted by an
inner stockade, higher and stronger,
built around spring and well stocked
with provisions. But the attack, Kehr
felt, If it ever did come to head
would end bloodily and ingloriously
in the barbed wire.
Four feet from the top Of the main
stockade on the inner side was shelf
like walk of heavy planks from which
sentries could look out upon the world
beyond.
Celestia's first act Of exploration was
to climb ladder which gave access
to this narrow way and start along It,.
Almost instantly the white apparition
was challenged by a sentry.
Celestia gave the password and
made the man tell her what his hours
and duties were.
DO you really mean." she said, that
II you saw a man out there, and asked
him his business, and got no answer,
that you would try to shoot him.
"If saw him in this light" said the
sentinel, he'd be so near that l
wouldn't have to try. couldn't miss
him."
And he might be a deaf man who
didn't hear your challenge. | don't
think you'd shoot him, would you?
Wouldn't you just shoot somewhere
near him to frighten him?"
She looked the man steadily in the
face.
wouldn't you?"
81 got no business talking to anyone
when I'm on duty"
wouldn't your"
The man made a snuflling noise.
'If hear you fire." said Celestia, 81
shall know that you didn't shoot to
kill shan't II"
The sentry, an alert young fellow to
begin with, seemed now to have fallen
into a kind of trance.
81 guess" he said, I'D do anything
you said if you looked at me while you
said it,"
/ Celestia smiled and passed on. She
made the whole tour of the stockade
instilling merciful feelings into the
heart of each sentry she met. At last
Just as the moon was rising and flood
/ ing the world with light, she came
back to the first sentry. 1t was easy
to see that he was glad she had come
/ back. He drew long breath and his
eyes frightened.
why" she asked, have almost all
/ the trees been cut down?
"So's-we can see the strikers LONG
way before they get to us"
Then why have they left that one
big grove so near the stockade? They
could take shelter in that and if they
had a small cannon"
"But they haven't"
"They ought to have, oughtn't theyi
II it's to be a fair fight. But there
won't be any fight, will there? Still
YOU haven't told me why all the trees
have been cut down except that one
grove-see, it's got a fine old stone
wall around it. If l were the captain
of the strikers"
1T was left standing especial SAID
the sentry. 'by Mr.. Kehr's orders
And he knows why it's been left, ever
If nobody else does. I'm dead certain
Of one thing. Anybody who thinks
he's safe in that grove will be making
a great big mistake"
"But why? A bullet can't &c
through a stone wall or big tree"
DO YOU know what o blast is?'
81 think So"
"Well, suppose the strikers occupied
that grove in numbers and began u
fire on us. Suppose just then ever!
tree in the grove blew to pieces anC
fell on 'em. and the stone wall sailed
up In the air and fell on EN-, and th'
earth they stood on opened up ant