The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-07-04

lie struck match, III his lamp, ana
went to the window. There had been
heavy shower, bur the rain had
ceased now. and 1T seemed not far
from the dawa. The stars were bril-
liant in a~cloudlcss sky.
Far away Winton heard an indie
finabie murmuring sound as of num-
Der of voices. 1t dwindled and grew
again, and suddenly swelled into
tumuli. which seemed TO spread along
the ridge OF the fields. There was no
installing its portent Somewhere
riot had broken out.
And suddenly the night was cloven
by column of fire that shot upward,
Illuminating a smoky cloud that
drifted slowly across the stars.
Wlnton thrust on his clothes hur-
riedly and ran out of the room toward
Burns's cottage. He knocked hard ON
the door.
"Sheila % he called. "Sheilar'
He heard her answer. She came to
the other side Of the door, and he
begged her to dress hastily and come
out to him. He waited through ago
nizing moments. The tumult was grow
ing. 1t was spreading from compound
to compound.
Then there arose within his own
compound terrific babel. so sudden
| ly and Unexpectedly that it seemed as
II by preconcerted agreement. And
all at once the enclosure was filed
with a mob of yelling sayages. Before
them man, dressed In European
clothes, went flying for his life.
"Sheila !" called Winton desperately.
She opened the door and stood be-
fore him dressed, with her unbound
hair hanging down her back. There
was no need to explain anything. She
ran to him and chung to him
Winton hurried her toward the cot
tage. 1t did not seem much of
refuge, but at least ne had his re-
volver there and on both sides of him
the savages were approaching, with
the evident intention of attacking the
building.
They were seen. The yells were re-
doubled. A spear whizzing through
the air buried itself in the ground at
Winton's feet just as he reached his
door.
He pushed Sheila inside, ran to his
table, and grabbed his revolver, load
ing it hurriedly and thrusting two or
three handfuls of cartridges into his
pocket. Then he ran back to receive
the fugitive, of whose presence he had
been subconsciously aware, although
his mind had been filed with Sheila
IL
Sam sank down on the floor, painting
and sweating. His foremost pursuer
was not twenty feet distant. Winton
aimed methodically and fred.
The man flung up his arms and fell |
with scream. The mob behind. which |
had been streaming on in a disorder.
ly mass, stopped short. Winton fired
again and another native dropped.
The savages, disconnected, bolted, re-
formed, and began to spread out about
the cottage. A few had spears, but |
there were, of course, no firearms |
among them, and the majority were |
armed with nothing more formidable |
than knobkerries, the native shillalah. /
Sam in turn dragged Winton inside
and bolted the door. They faced each
other.
''What is it, Sam7"
Its a rebellion gasped the negro.
They've broken out all along the
fields. / heard the uproar and went
into the compound. / thought our boys
would cooperate, after our social"
"Never mind that. Sam. Yours was
a brave act"
mo, sir" gasped Sam 81 was sure
moral suasion-appeal to human broth
erhood-no primitive instincts In our
men-was mistaken"
Eyes. your theory didn't work. Now
we've got to save Miss Seaton-Miss
Davis here"
They've killed Josephs, SIR"
"What?" cried Winton in horror.
Sam began to shake. "They stuck
a spear right through his body. sir
He had gone in alone. They nearly
got me. We're all as good as dead"
Nonsense !" answered Winton. try
to convince himself that the outbreak
was one of those sporadic riots that
occurred periodically in the com
pounds, and had no connection with
the threatened rising Of the tribes. He
looked at Sheila, who smiled bravely
and laid her hands on his arms and
looked up at him.
I'm not afraid, Winton," she said.
We'll have help soon-we must"
said Wint0n with. conviction.
But the yells increased again, and
there came another rush for the door.
Winton opened it suddenly and dis
charged his revolver. Screams fol
lowed and a panicky retreat. He bolt
ed 1t again and recharged the weapon.
(To BE cONTINUED.)