The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-08-11

except that man ana one othcf. he
knows that" | declared.
The leader turned to the crowd ana
tried to reason with them, but it was
useless. Not a man would leave the
house. Some began to murmur and
growl at him for his interference, and
the yells and cries against me re-
doubled in violence.
Then for awhile things went all
wrong with me. One OF the fellows in
the hallway picked up a mat and, with
a raucars laugh and an oath. flung it
at me. 1t hit me full in the face, and
a burst of laughter and wild cheering
hailed the shot.
Before | knew anything more n
other man rushed up the stairs and
caught me by the legs. Down l went
backwards; my weapon flew out OF
my hand. and in ar instant / was haul
cd down the stairs, feet first. into the
seething mass Of Infatuated men: grab
bed here. thrust there. beaten. kicked
and hustled all ways at once to the
accompaniment of such S~creechlng.
oathing and yelling as | hope ! may
never hear again, at least under SINH
lar conditions.
Matters would have been much
worse with mt. but for one stroke of
luck. One of the crowd. a grimy. fat.
vile smelling creature. in his eager
ness to get a kick at my head fell
asprawl over me as | lay against the
wall. grabbed him tight and hung
! on to him. using his fat carcass as a
| shield until his piercing screams for
| help Let his friends see what vas hap
pening.
The attack ceased while they drag
ged him free. | managed to scramble
to my feet at the same time, and with
my back to the wall | use my fists
; right and left upon the front rank of
hot. straining. sweating. staring faces
in a desperate effort to win Il way
back to the stairs.
Against such numbers | could gain
no more than a moments respite, how
ever. But it proved enough.
\. revolver shot rang ont from the
stairway and drew all eyes that way.
1t was Nolna.
Running from the room above, she
had seer my pistol on the stairs. and
her quick wits had suggested to her the
means of stopping the tumult. She
had discharged it ovcr the heads Of the
crowd and had thus gained a hearing.
Her lovely face flushed and her eyes
alight With indignation. she used tbs
moment of establishment to dash right
into the midst of the crowd and reach
my side.
"Shame. shame" she cried
"Would o tear your friends tt
pieces: am one of the prisoners, an(
this is the other
The f%ckleneSS of a mob is a prOverh
Her plucky act succeeded where all ar
guments mt Inducements would hay,
failed. The crowd swung over to he
side and cheered her Justify.
Rurski was quick to appreciate tn,
probable results to him. and | saw hin
begin to edge his way to the door t.
escape.
stop that man" | called, pointing t
him.
In an instant his path WAS blocked
and | hoped that he was going to hay
had secured such a full meal for me.
He would have had it surely cnous
but for an interruption from outside.
The luck had turned right in our ia
vor. Three or four men shoulders
their way into the house, and in thei
midst / saw my friend IadislaS. II
was known to many of the crowd. VIII
) In a few words ! made the %Situatio
clear to him and added that RremenhC
| was in the room above and that if til
: crowd got wind of it in their preseI
t temper they would tear him to pieces.
, He succeeded ultimately in inducin
the people to leave the house, and. pu
| ting Rurski in charge of three me,
I.adislas, Nolna and | went up to Rren
enhof.
: He was in u condition of desperat
: terror and as we entered started u
S and stared at us wide eyed. trcmblir
and abject.
You are in no danger. Colonel Prcr
enhof.' said Ladislas. They shall tai
c my life before I will see YOU harmed
Not quite so fast as that. I.adislaS
G l declared. "ColOncl Rremenhof kne
what his man BurSki intended in st
ting the crowd on me and | have
r reckoning to SETTLE
The hunted expression in his eye
which had been calmed somewhat
I his friends words. returned as
asked. What do you mean:"
G You shall know that i'll an momcl
a First understand that the mob are st
n ~outside-their blood is up. They ha
a just been cheated of II victim-m
self-handed over to them in yo
l. stead by the cunning of your man a.
with your c~onnivanre. | have but
e open the door and speak YOUR name
them. and what they did to me will
5, a tritle to what they'll do to you"
b "AnStruthcr'' protested LadiSlas.