Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-16

pressing upon each other In headloni
desire to be nrst, yelling like fends
guns brapdishsd In air. Or splitting IRE
animated BY bat one purpose - th'
battering Of way isto that cnbin.
know not who Ted thsm--all saw
was \ mass Of half.naked bodle.
bounding toward me, long hair stream
ing, copper faces agiow, weapons gilt
tering in the light. Yes, saw more
the meaning Of that fierce rush: the
instrument Of destruction they brough
with them. X was there in the center
OF the maelstrom Of leaping figures
| protected by the grouped bodies, half
hidden by gestlculating red arms--a
huge log. borne irreslstibly forward
on the shoulders of twenty warriors,
gripped by other hands, and hurled
toward us as though swept on by a
human sea. Again and again I fired
bllndly into the yelping mob; I heard
the crack of Tins rife echoing mine,
and the chug of lead from without
striking the solid logs. Bullets
ploughed crashing through the door
panels and Elsie's shrill screams Of
fright rang out above the unearthly
din. A slug tore through my loophole,
drawing blood from my shoulder In
Its passage. and Embedded itself In the
opposite wall. In front Of me savages
| fell. staggering, screams Of anger and
agony mingling as the astopished as
sailants realized the fight before them.
/ An instant we held them, startled,
and damoralized. The warriors bear
/ Ing the log stumbled over a dead body
and went down, the great timber
crushing out another life as II fell.
Again We fred. this time straight into
( their faces--but there was no stopping
them. A red blanket flashed back be-
| ynnd the big tree: cultural voice
shouted, its hoarse note rising above
the hellish uproar. and those demons
were on their feet again, filled with
new frenzy. II was a minute-no
more. With blow that shook the
cabin. propelled by twenty strong
arms, the great tree butt struck,
splintering the oak wood as though it
were so much pine, and driving 4
Jagged hole clear through one panel.
Kennedy was there. blazing away d.
rectly into the assailants' eyes. and I
Joined him.
Again they struck, and again, the
jagged end Of their battering ram pro-
truded through the shattered wood.
We killed, but they were too many.
Once more the great butt came crash
ing forward, this time caring in the
entire door. bursting It back upon it's
hinges. In through the opening the
red mob hurled itself. reckless Of death
or wounds. mad with the thirst for
victory: jam OF naked beasts, erazed
/ by the smell Of blood-a wave of
slaughter crested with hrandished
guns and CLEAN of tomahawks.
There Is nothing 10 remember
nothing but blows, curses, yells. the
crunch Of steel on flesh, the horror Of
cruel eyes elowering into yours, the
ciutching Of fingers at your throat, the
spit OF fire singeing you. the strain Of
combat hand to hand-the knowledge
that 1t is all over, except TO die. l
had no sense Of fear; no thought but
to XIII and be killed. l felt within me
acknowledgements. insane strength.
| The rife butt splintered In my hands,
but the bent and shspeless barrel rose
and fell like a fail. saw 1t crush
against skulls; Jabbed 1t straight
into red faces brought 1t down with
all my force on clutchine arms. For
an instant Tim was beside me. He
had lost his gun and was fighting with
knife. 1t was only glimpse l had
Of him through red mist-the next In
! slant he was gone. A huge fellow
faced me, a Winnebago, knew, from
his shaven head.-I struck him once,
laying open his cheek to the bone
then he broke through and grtpped me,
The rest Is what-a dream; de-
lirtum fever? know not: 1t comes to
me In flashes Of mad memory. ! was
struck again and again. stabbed, and
| dung to the door. Moccas!ned feet
trod on me, and some fiend gripped my
hair. bending my head back across a
dead body, until I felt the neck crack
Above me were naked legs and arms
q pandemonium Of dancing figures, a
horrible chorus Of maddened yells.
caught q glimpse Of Asa Hall flung
high into the air, shot dead In mid
fight, the whirling body dropping into
the ruck below. I saw the savage
whose fingers were twined in my hair
lift a cleaning tomahawk and circle II
! about his head; I stared into the hate
of his eyes, and as 1t swept down
there was glare OF red and yellow
fame between Us, the thunder Of ar
explosion; the roof above seemed Il
burst asunder and fall in-and dark
ness, death.
Ito Be Continued)