Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-14
CHAPTER XIV,
Ruin and Pillaqe.

next day Jim saw troop OF
lancers ride to farmhouse. Some OF
the men entered aud came out. their
arms full Of loot: others drove the IN.
habitants before them; others ran on
the cattle and sheep and killed the
chickens. Then. when everything was
taken, they burned house and barns
and rode away. leaving the homeless
family in little huddled group on the
hillside. All day parties Of horsemen
golloped past In every direction; al
day great columns OF smoke billowed
up to the sky from behind the hills
ahead and on both sides. After dark
Jim led hts men on.
1t was cold that night and a snow
storm had begun 1t made conceal
ment easier for the fugitive soldiers
They passed little crossroads store
which had been looted and then burn
ed. but under the Goals there were
some boxes Of crackers and meal.
Women, with children. and old men
were picking over the hot ashes and
sharing their finds together. They
gave supper to the soldiers. Jim asked
Of the men only direction Of the roads.
but he heard other things:
where's Mabel. Ed?"
Mabel! Oh. heavens!"
you mean they got herr"
- But she'll fool 'em. She
has poison with her. She'll kill herself
before
For the thousandth time Jim read
and reread the letter which Mart had
left with him when the boy was called
away for duty-the letter in which
zines told that she was learning
army nursiaS and was coming east to
service as soon as she could. Had she
come east already, and II she had
where was she? Might she be among
the women captives in those lighted
houses, surrounded by the. regents
cayalrymen. where the .epemy's! pfi.
GERS drank and sang and .reveled
while the American refugees stole 81
lently past in the dark, crouching low
over the snow? sTs
A cry-a weak little cry of child
came to him. Jim did not try to rise;
he burrowed under the SNOW. A wo-
man was lying there. She was frozen.
There could be no doubt Of that; but.
bundled within her arms and wound
within a blanket was baby. who
cried weakly once more as Jim lifted
the bundle He got to his feet again
and stumbled to a house and entered
the kitchen. 1,
There was no one In, the kitchen
now. but the floor was wet and mud
died With the marks OF mems boots.
These marks alarmed Jim. and laying
the baby on the table as he heard
heavy step approaching. he drew his
revolver and stepped behind pantry
door. A large man. in the uniform OF
the regents cavalry. strobe in unstead-
fly. He was flushed with liquor. but
he was clear headed enough to have
suspected that some one had entered.
Suddenly he dropped his chunk OF
meat and, crouching. started toward
the pantry
Jim. waiting. shifted his revolver
to his left hand and drew his sword
with his right. Heicrouched. too. and
as the man came around the end Of
the door Jim lunged. His point caught
flesh and went through It There was
horrible gasp. gurgle. but no other
sound The man. run through the
neck. fell without his finger contract
ing so as to fire his revolver.
"Derrin" a mans voice was calling.
obviously for the man whom Jim had
Just killed. "Derrin"'
The man who called-he wore the
same uniform with the chevrons Of a
sergeant-was coming down the stairs.
Jim aimed his revolver pitilessly and
shot the sergeant through the head.
The man crumpled and rolled down to
the hall. Jim retreated into coat
closet and waited. No one came.
In a locked room above. the door OF
which he broke down. Jim found four
girls overcome by escaping gas. They
were attempting to kill themselves.
One Of the girls was Beatrice Logan.
whom he tried to revive. Summoning
the FIVE men who had been travelling
with him. they returned to the house.
where they repulsed an attack Of the
regents soldiers. killing five Of them.
Even as be worked over the half I'M
conscious Beatrice she struggled
against him.
"It's-it's your she murmured at
| last. ''You-you were'-
| = YSna aco,ypoA
'Then-then where am II"
Gradually he got the sense to her
1--WE came and found you, and We
| have killed them all who were here;
we have killed them
KILLED them!' she cried. KILLED
them! You have killed the soldiers
here! Oh, our poor people! Oh. help
our poor peopler'
Later Jim led his party and the
girls to safety.
Jim became a captain and vowed
that his part Of the battle line would
be held next time.
He was going to shoot his men II
they faltered. Far, far better to shoe,
them and fail in the battle hne than t.
| abandon more women and children t.
the invader.
Along with the infantrymen Of hi
company there were men who. wher
they had had horses. had been caval
rymen. Mart Ware was among them
The company was quite nondescript
but all had been under flre before. ..
they were stationed at vital point II
| the hesk line trenches above Cayug'
lake. .s.ss...