The Courage of Captain Plum Read online

  CHAPTER IV

  THE WHIPPING

  Scarce had the words fallen from his lips when there sounded a slow,heavy step on the stair outside. The young girl snatched her hand freeand caught Nathaniel by the wrist.

  "It is the king!" she whispered excitedly. "It is the king! Quick--youstill have time! You must go--you must go--"

  She strove to pull him across the room.

  "There--through that door!" she urged.

  The slowly ascending steps were half way up the stairs. Nathanielhesitated. He knew that a moment before there had passed through thatdoor one who carried with her the odor of lilac and his heart leaped toits own conclusion who that person was. He had heard the rustle of thegirl's skirt. He had seen the last inch of the door close as Strang'swife pulled it after her. And now he was implored to follow! He sprangforward as the heavy steps neared the landing. His hand was upon thelatch--when he paused. Then he turned and bent his head close down tothe girl.

  "No, I won't do it, my dear," he whispered. "Just now it might maketrouble for--her."

  He lifted his eyes and saw a man looking at him from the doorway. Heneeded no further proof to assure him that this was Strang the king ofthe Mormons, for the Beaver Island prophet was painted well in thatregion which knew the grip and terror of his power. He was a massiveman, with the slow slumbering strength of a beast. He was not much underfifty; but his thick beard, reddish and crinkling, his shaggy hair, andthe full-fed ruddiness of his face, with its foundation of heavy jaw,gave him a more youthful appearance. There was in his eyes, set deep andso light that they shone like pale blue glass, the staring assurancethat is frequently born of power. In his hand he carried a hugemetal-knobbed stick.

  In an instant Nathaniel had recovered himself. He advanced a step,bowing coolly.

  "I am Captain Plum, of the sloop _Typhoon_," he said. "I called at yourhome a short time ago and was directed to your office. As a stranger onthe island I did not know that you had an office or I would have comehere first."

  "Ah!"

  The king drew his right foot back half a pace and bowed so low thatNathaniel saw only the crown of his hat. When he raised his head theaggressive stare had gone out of his eyes and a welcoming smile lightedup his face as he advanced with extended hand.

  "I am glad to see you, Captain Plum."

  His voice was deep and rich, filled with that wonderful vibratory powerwhich seems to strike and attune the hidden chords of one's soul. Theman's appearance had not prepossessed Nathaniel, but at the sound of hisvoice he recognized that which had made him the prophet of men. As thewarm hand of the king clasped his own Captain Plum knew that he was inthe presence of a master of human destinies, a man whose ponderousred-visaged body was simply the crude instrument through which spoke themarvelous spirit that had enslaved thousands to him, that had enthralleda state legislature and that had hypnotized a federal jury into givinghim back his freedom when evidence smothered him in crime. He felthimself sinking in the presence of this man and struggled fiercely toregain himself. He withdrew his hand and straightened himself like asoldier.

  "I have come to you with a grievance, Mr. Strang," he began. "Agrievance which I feel sure you will do your best to right. Perhaps youare aware that some little time ago--about two weeks back--your peopleboarded my ship in force and robbed me of several thousand dollars'worth of merchandise."

  Strang had drawn a step back.

  "Aware of it!" he exclaimed in a voice that shook the room. "Aware ofit!" The red of his face turned purple and he clenched his free hand insudden passion. "Aware of it!" He repeated the words, this time sogently that Nathaniel could scarcely hear them, and tapped his heavystick upon the floor. "No, Captain Plum, I was not aware of it. If I_had_ been--" He shrugged his thick shoulders. The movement, and asudden gleam of his teeth through his beard, were expressive enough forNathaniel to understand.

  Then the king smiled.

  "Are you sure--are you _quite_ sure, Captain Plum, that it was my peoplewho attacked your ship? If so, of course you must have some proof?"

  "We were very near to Beaver Island and many miles from the mainland,"said Nathaniel. "It could only have been your people."

  "Ah!"

  Strang led the way to a table at the farther end of the room andmotioned Nathaniel to a seat opposite him.

  "We are a much persecuted people, Captain Plum, very much persecutedindeed." His wonderful voice trembled with a subdued pathos. "We haveanswered for many sins that have never been ours, Captain Plum, andamong them are robbery, piracy and even murder. The people along thecoasts are deadly enemies to us--who would be their friends; they commitcrimes in our name and we do not retaliate. It was not my people whowaylaid your vessel. They were fishermen, probably, who came from theMichigan shore and awaited their opportunity off Beaver Island. But Ishall investigate this; believe me, I shall investigate this fully,Captain Plum!"

  Nathaniel felt something like a great choking fist shoot up into histhroat. It was not a sensation of fear but of humiliation--thehumiliation of defeat, the knowledge of his own weakness in the hands ofthis man who had so quickly and so surely blocked his claim. His quickbrain saw the futility of argument. He possessed no absolute proof andhe had thought that he needed none. Strang saw the flash of doubt in hisface, the hesitancy in his answer; he divined the working of the other'sbrain and in his soft voice, purring with friendship, he followed up histriumph.

  "I sympathize with you," he spoke gently, "and my sympathy and wordshall help you. We do not welcome strangers among us, for strangers haveusually proved themselves our enemies and have done us wrong. But to youI give the freedom of our kingdom. Search where you will, at what hoursyou will, and when you have found a single proof that your stolenproperty is among my people--when you have seen a face that yourecognize as one of the robbers, return to me and I shall makerestitution and punish the evil-doers."

  So intensely he spoke, so filled with reason and truth were his words,that Nathaniel thrust out his hand in token of acceptance of the king'sterms. And as Strang gripped that hand Captain Plum saw the young girl'sface over the prophet's shoulder--a face, white as death in its terror,that told him all he had heard was a lie.

  "And when you have done with my people," continued the king, "you willgo among that other race, along the mainland, where men have thrown offthe restraints of society to give loose reign to lust and avarice; wherethe Indian is brutified that his wife may be intoxicated by compulsionand prostituted by violence before his eyes; where the forest cabins andthe streets of towns are filled with half-breeds; where there stalkwretches with withered and tearless eyes, who are in nowise troubled byrecollection of robbery, rape and murder. And _there_ you will find whomyou are looking for!"

  Strang had risen to his feet. His eyes blazed with the fire of smotheredhatred and passion and his great voice rolled through his beard,tremulous with excitement, but still deep and rich, like the booming ofsome melodious instrument. He flung aside his hat as he paced back andforth; his shaggy hair fell upon his shoulders; huge veins stood outupon his forehead--and Nathaniel sat mute as he watched this lion of aman whose great throat quivered with the power that might have stirred anation--that might have made him president instead of king. He waitedfor the thunder of that throat and his nerves keyed themselves to meetits bursting passion. But when Strang spoke again it was in a voice assoft and as gentle as a woman's.

  "Those are the men who have vilified us, Captain Plum; who have coveredus with crimes that we have never committed; who have driven our peopleinto groups that they may be free from depredation; who watch likevultures to despoil our women; wild wifeless men, Captain Plum, who haveleft families and character behind them and who have sought thewilderness to escape the penalties of law and order. It is they whowould destroy us. Go among my own people first, Captain Plum, and findyour lost property if you can; and if you can not discover it where inseven years not one child has been born out of wedlock, seek among theLamanites--and my sheriffs shall fo
llow where you place the crime!"

  He had stretched out his arms like one whose plea was of life and death;his face shone with earnestness; his low words throbbed as if his heartwere borne upon them for the inspection of its truth and honor. He wasStrang the tragedian, the orator, the conqueror of a legislature, agovernor, a dozen juries--and of human souls. And as he stood silent fora moment in this attitude Nathaniel rose to his feet, subservient, andbelieving as others had believed in the fitness of this man. But as hiseyes traveled a dozen paces beyond, he saw the young girl gesturing tohim in that same terror, and holding up for him to see a slip of paperupon which she had written. And when she had caught his eyes shecrumpled the paper into a shapeless ball and tossed it just over thelanding to the ground below the stair.

  "I thank you for the privileges of the island which you have offeredme," said Nathaniel, putting on his hat, "and I shall certainly takeadvantage of your kindness for a few hours, as I want very much towitness one of your ceremonies which I understand is to take placeto-day. Then, if I have discovered nothing, I shall return to my ship."

  "Ah, you wish to see the whipping?" The king smiled his approval. "Thatis one way we have of punishing slight misdemeanors in our kingdom,Captain Plum. It is an illustration of our intolerance of evil-doers."He turned suddenly toward the girl. "Winnsome, my dear, have you copiedthe paper I was at work on? I wish to show it to Captain Plum."

  He walked slowly toward her and for the first time since her warningNathaniel had an opportunity of observing the girl without fear ofbeing perceived by the prophet. She was very young, hardly more than achild he would have guessed at first; and yet at a second and morecareful glance he knew that she could not be under fifteen--perhapssixteen. Her whole attire was one to add to her childish appearance. Herhair, which was rather short, fell in lustrous dark curls about her faceand upon her neck. She wore a fitted coat-like blouse, and knee skirtswhich disclosed a pretty pair of legs and ankles. As Strang wasreturning with the paper which she handed to him the girl turned herface to Captain Plum. Her mouth was formed into a round red O and shepointed anxiously to where she had thrown the note. The king's eyes wereon his paper and Nathaniel nodded to assure her that he understood.

  "I am like a gardener who compels every passing neighbor to go into hisback yard and admire his first sprouts," laughed the prophet jovially."In other words, I do a little writing, and I take a kind of childishjoy in making other people read it. But I see this is not in propershape, so you have escaped. It is a brief history of Beaver Islandwritten at the request of the Smithsonian Institute, which has alreadypublished an article of mine. If you happen to be on the islandto-morrow and should you return to this office I shall certainly haveyou read it if I have to call all of my sheriffs into service!"

  He laughed with such open good-humor that Nathaniel found himselfsmiling despite the varied unpleasant sensations within him. "Do youwrite much?" he asked.

  "I get out a daily paper," said the king rather proudly, "and of course,as prophet, I am the translator of what word may be handed down to usfrom Heaven for the direction and commandment of my people. I hold thesecret of the Urim and Thummin, which was first delivered by angels intothe hands of Joseph, and with it have revealed the word of God as itappears in a book which I have written. Ah--I had forgotten this!" Fromamong a mass of papers and books on the table he drew forth ablue-covered pamphlet and passed it to his companion. "I have only a fewcopies left but you may have this one, Captain Plum. It will surelyinterest you. In it I have set forth the troubles existing between myown people and the cyprian-rotted criminals that infest Mackinac and themainland and have described our struggle for chastity and honor againstthese human vultures. It was published two years ago. But conditions aredifferent to-day. Now--now I am king, and the oppressors in the filth oftheir crime have become the oppressed!"

  The last words boomed from him in a slogan of triumph and as if inechoing mockery there came from the open door the chuckling, mirthlesslaugh of Obadiah Price.

  "Yea--yea--even into the land of the Lamanites are you king!"

  At the sound of his voice Strang turned toward him and the sonoroustriumph that rumbled in his throat faded to a low greeting. AndNathaniel saw that the little old councilor's eyes glittered boldly asthey met the prophet's and that in their glance was neither fear norservitude but rather a light as of master meeting master. The twoadvanced and clasped hands and a few low words passed between them whileNathaniel went to the door.

  "I will go with you, Captain Nathaniel Plum," called Obadiah. "I will gowith you and show you the town."

  "The councilor will be your friend," added Strang. "To-day he carrieswith him that authority from the king."

  He bowed and Nathaniel passed through the door. Looking back he caught alast warning flash from the girl's eyes. As he hurried down the stair heheard the councilor pause for an instant upon the landing and takingadvantage of this opportunity he picked up the bit of crumpled paper,and read these lines:

  "Hurry to your ship. In another hour men will be watching for anopportunity to kill you. You will never leave the island alive--_unlessyou go now_. The girl you saw through the window sends you thiswarning."

  He thrust the paper into his coat pocket as Obadiah came up behind him.

  "Ho, ho, Nat, my boy, I have come fast to catch you--I have come fast!"he whispered. He caught his companion by the arm and Nathaniel felt hishand trembling violently. "Come this way, Nat--beyond the temple. I havethings to say to you." His voice was strangely unnatural and whenCaptain Plum looked down into his face the look in the bead-like eyesstartled him. "Nat, you must hurry away with the package!"

  "So I understand--if I save my skin. Obadiah Price, I have a notion tokill you!"

  They had passed beyond the huge edifice of logs, and as he stopped,hidden from the view of the king's office, Nathaniel caught thecouncilor's arm in a grip that crushed to the bone.

  "I have a notion to kill you!" he repeated.

  The old man stood unflinching. Not a muscle of his face quivered as thecaptain's fingers sank into his flesh.

  "At the first sign of treachery, at the first sign of danger to myself,I shall shoot you dead!" he finished.

  "You may, Nat, you may. From this moment until you leave the island Ishall be at your side and no harm shall come to you. But if thereshould, Nat, or if there should come a moment when you believe that I amyour enemy--shoot me!" There was sincerity in his voice that carriedconviction to Nathaniel's heart and he released his hold upon thecouncilor's arm. Regardless of the mystery that surrounded him hebelieved in Obadiah. But there rose in his breast a mad desire to chokethis old man into telling him the truth, to force him to reveal thesecrets of this strange plot into which he had been drawn and of whichhe knew as little as when he first set foot in Strang's kingdom. Yet herealized even as the desire formed itself in his brain that such aneffort would be useless.

  "If you had remained at the cabin, Nat, you would have known that I wasyour friend," continued Obadiah. "She would have come to you, butnow--it is impossible. You know. You have been warned?"

  Nathaniel drew Winnsome's note from his pocket and read it aloud.Obadiah smiled gleefully when he noticed how carefully he kept thehandwriting from his eyes.

  "Ah, Nat, you are a noble fellow!" he cried, rubbing his hands in hisold tireless way. "You would not betray pretty little Winn, eh? And whodo you suppose told Winnsome to give you this note?"

  "Strang's wife."

  "Yea, even so. And it was she who set my old legs a-running for you, myboy. Come, let us move!"

  The little councilor was his old self again, chuckling and grimacing andrubbing his hands, and his eyes danced as he spoke of the girl.

  "Casey is not a cautious man," he gurgled with a sudden upward leer."Casey is a fool!"

  "Casey!" almost shouted Captain Plum. "What the devil do you mean?"

  "Ho, ho, ho--haven't you guessed the truth yet, Nat? While you and Iwere getting acquainted last night a coupl
e of fishermen from themainland dropped alongside your sloop. They had been robbed by theMormon pirates! They cursed Strang. They swore vengeance. And yourcautious Casey cursed with 'em, and fed 'em, and drank with 'em--and hewould have had them stay until morning only they were anxious to hurrywith their report to Strang. Understand, Nat? Eh? Do you understand?"

  "What did Casey tell them?" gasped Nathaniel.

  Obadiah hunched his shoulders.

  "Enough to warrant a bullet through your head, Nat. Cheerful, isn't it?But we'll fool them, Nat, we'll fool them! You shall board your ship andhurry away with the package, and then you shall make love to Strang'swife--_for she will go with you!_"

  He stopped to enjoy the amazement that was written in every lineament ofthe other's face. The red blood surged into Nathaniel's neck anddeepened on his bronze cheeks. Slowly the reaction came. When he spokethere was an uneasy gleam in his eyes and his voice was as hard assteel.

  "She will go with me, Councilor! And why?"

  Obadiah had laughed softly as he watched the change. Suddenly he jerkedhimself erect.

  "Sh-h-h!" he whispered. "Keep cool, Nat! Don't show any excitement orfear. Here comes the man who is to kill you!"

  He made no move save with his eyes.

  "He is coming to speak with me and to get a good look at you," he addedin excited haste. "Appear friendly. Agree with what I say. He is thechief of sheriffs, the king's murderer--Arbor Croche!"

  He turned as if he had just seen the approaching figure. And hewhispered softly, "Winnsome's father!"

  Arbor Croche! Nathaniel gave an involuntary shudder as he turned withObadiah. Croche, chief of sheriffs, scourge of the mainland--the Attilaof the Mormon kingdom, whose very name caused the women of the shores toturn white and on whose head the men had secretly set a price in gold!Without knowing it his hand went under his coat. Obadiah saw themovement and as he advanced to meet the officer of the king he jerkedthe arm back fiercely. Half a dozen paces away the chief of sheriffspaused and bowed low. But the councilor stood erect, as he had stoodbefore the king, smiling and nodding his head.

  "Ah, Croche," he greeted, "good morning!"

  "Good morning, Councilor!"

  "Sheriff, I would have you meet Captain Nathaniel Plum, master of thesloop _Typhoon_. Captain Plum this is His Majesty's officer, ArborCroche!"

  The two men advanced and shook hands. Nathaniel stood half a head abovethe sheriff, who, like his master, the king, was short and of massivebuild, though a much younger man. He was a dark lowering hulk of acreature, with black eyes, black hair, and a hand-clasp that showed himpossessed of great strength.

  "You are a stranger, Captain Plum?"

  The councilor replied quickly.

  "He has never been at St. James before, sheriff. I have invited him tostay over to see the whipping. By the way--" he shot a suggestive lookat the Officer. "By the way, Croche, I want you to see him safely aboardhis sloop to-night. His ship is at the lower end of the island, and ifyou will detail a couple of men just before dusk--an escort, you know--"

  Nathaniel felt a curious thrill creep up his spine at the satisfactionwhich betrayed itself in the officer's black face.

  "It will give me great pleasure, Councilor," he interrupted. "I shallescort you myself if you will allow me, Captain Plum!"

  "Thank you," said Nathaniel.

  "Captain Plum is to remain with me throughout the day," added Obadiah."Come at seven--to my place. Ah, I see that people are assembling nearthe jail!"

  "We have changed our plans somewhat, Councilor." The officer turned toNathaniel. "You will see the whipping within half an hour, CaptainPlum." He turned away with another bow to the councilor and hastened inthe direction of Strang's office.

  "So that is the gentleman who thinks he is going to put a bullet throughme!" exclaimed Nathaniel when the officer had gone beyond hearing. Helaughed, and there was a kind of wild expectant joy in his voice."Obadiah, can you not make arrangements for him to go with me alone?"

  "He will not go with you at all, Nat," gloated the old man. "Ho, ho, weare playing at his own game--treachery. When he calls at my place youwill be aboard ship."

  "But I should like to have a talk with him--alone, and in the woods.God--I know a man at Grand Traverse Bay whose wife and daughter--"

  "Sh-h-h-h!" interrupted the councilor. "Would you kill little Winnsome'sfather?"

  "Her father? That animal! That murderer! Is it true?"

  "But you should have seen her mother, Nat, you should have seen hermother!" The old man twisted his hands, like a miser ravished by thesight of gold. "She was beautiful--as beautiful as a wild flower, andshe killed herself three years ago to save the birth of another childinto this hell. Little Winn is like her mother, Nat."

  "And she lives with him?"

  "Er, yes--and guarded, oh, so carefully guarded by Strang, Nat! Yes, Iguess that some day she will be a queen."

  "Great God!" cried the young man. "And you--you live in this cesspool ofsin and still believe in a Heaven?"

  "Yes, I believe in a Heaven. And my reward there shall be great. Ho, ho,I am taking no middle road, Nat!"

  They had passed in a semicircle beyond the temple and now approached asquat building constructed of logs, which Obadiah had pointed out as thejail. A glance satisfied Nathaniel that it was so situated that anadmirable view of the proceedings could be obtained from the rear of thestructure in which Strang had his office. Several score of people hadalready assembled about the prison and stood chatting with that tenseinterest and anticipation with which the mob always awaits publicinfliction of the law's penalties. A third of them were women. AsNathaniel had previously noted, the feminine part of the Mormonpopulation wore their hair either in braids down their backs or in thickcurls flowing over their shoulders and with the exception of three orfour were attired in skirts that just concealed their knees. Obadiahhalted his companion close to a group of half a dozen of these women andnudged him slyly.

  "Pretty sight, eh, Nat?" he chuckled. "Ah, the king has a wonderful eyefor beauty, Nat--wonderful eye! He orders that no skirt shall fall belowthe female knee. Ho, ho, if he dared, if he _quite_ dared, Nat!"

  He nudged Nathaniel again with such enthusiasm that the latter jumped asthough a knife had been thrust between his ribs.

  "By George, I admire his taste!" he laughed. The women caught himstaring at them, and one, who was the youngest and prettiest of the lot,smiled invitingly.

  "Tush--the Jezebel!" snapped Obadiah, catching the look. "That's herchild playing just beyond."

  The young woman tossed her head and her white teeth gleamed in a laugh,as though she had overheard the old councilor's words.

  "See her twist her hair," he snarled venomously as the young woman,still boldly eying Nathaniel, played with the luxuriant curls thatglistened in the sun upon her breast. "Ezra Wilton is so fond of herthat he will take no other wife. Ugh, Strang is a fool!"

  Nathaniel turned away from the smiling eyes with a shrug.

  "Why?"

  "To tell our women that it helps to save their souls to wear shortskirts and let their hair hang down. For every soul of a woman that itsaves it sends two men on the road to hell!"

  So intense was the old man's displeasure and so ludicrous the twistingcontortions of his face that Nathaniel could hardly restrain himselffrom bursting into a roar of laughter. Obadiah perceived his inclinationand with an angry bob of his head led the way through to the inner edgeof the waiting circle of men. Within this circle, in a small open space,was a short post with straps attached to an arm nailed across it, andleaning upon this post in an attitude of one who possesses a mostdistinguished office was a young man with a three thonged whip in hishand. An ominous silence pervaded the circle, with the exception of thehushed whispering of a number of women who had forced themselves intothe line of spectators, bent upon witnessing the sight of blood as wellas hearing the sound of lashes. Nathaniel noticed that most of the womenhung in frightened curiosity beyond the men.

  "Th
at is MacDougall with the lash--official whipper and caretaker of theslave hounds," explained Obadiah in a whisper.

  Nathaniel gave a start of horror.

  "Slave hounds!" he breathed.

  The councilor grinned and twisted his hands, in enjoyment of hiscompanion's surprise.

  "We have the finest pack of bloodhounds north of Louisiana," hecontinued, so low that only Nathaniel could hear. "See! Isn't the earthworn smooth and hard about that post?"

  Nathaniel looked and his blood grew hot.

  "I have seen such things in the South," he said. "But not--for whitemen!"

  The councilor caught him by the arm.

  "They are coming!"

  In the direction of the jail the crowd was separating. Men crushed backon each side, forming a narrow aisle, even the whispering of the womenceased. A moment later three men appeared in the opening between thespectators. One of these, who walked between the other two, was strippedto the waist. About each of his naked wrists was tied a leather thongand these thongs were held by the man's guards. The prisoner's face waslivid; his hands were red with blood that dripped from his laceratedwrists; his eyes glared malignantly and his heaving chest showed thathe had not been brought from the log prison without a struggle.

  "Ah, it's Wittle first!" breathed the councilor. "It's he who said hiswife should not wear short skirts."

  At the edge of the circle the prisoner hesitated and the muscles in hisarms and chest grew rigid. Those of the crowd nearest to him drew back.Then a sudden change swept over the man's features and he walked quicklyto the stake and kneeled before it. The thongs about his wrists weretied to the straps of the cross-piece and the whipper took his position.As the first lash fell, a cry burst from the lips of the victim. Whenthe whip descended again he was silent. A curious sensation of sicknesscrept over Nathaniel as he saw the red gashes thicken on the whiteflesh. Five times--six times--seven times the whip rose and fell and hecould see the blood starting. In horror he turned his eyes away. Behindhim a man grinned at the whiteness of his face and the involuntarytrembling of his lips. Again and again he heard the lash fall upon thenaked back. From near him there came the sobbing moan of a woman. Asubdued movement, a sound as of murmuring wordless voices swept throughthe throng. A steady glitter filled the eyes of the man who had laughedat him--and he turned again to the stake. The man's back was drippingblood. Great red seams lay upon his shoulders and a single lash had cuthis bowed neck. Another stroke, more fierce than the others, andMacDougall turned away from the figure at the post, breathing hard. Theguards unfastened the victim's wrist-thongs and the man staggered to hisfeet. As he swayed down through the path that opened for him his crimsonback shone in the sun.

  "Great God!" gasped Nathaniel.

  He turned to Obadiah and was startled by the appearance of the old man.The councilor's face was ghastly. His mouth twitched and his bodytrembled. Nathaniel took his arm sympathetically.

  "Hadn't we better go, Dad?" he whispered.

  "No--no--no--not yet, Nat. It's--it's--Neil now and I must see how theboy--stands it!"

  It was but a short time before the guards returned. This time theirprisoner walked free and erect. The thongs dangled from his wrists andhe was a pace ahead of the two men who accompanied him. He was a youngman. Nathaniel judged his age at twenty-five. He was a striking contrastto the man who had suffered first at the post. His face instead ofbetraying the former's pallor was flushed with excitement; his head washeld high; not a sign of fear or hesitation shone in his eyes. As heglanced quickly around the circle of faces the flush grew deeper in hischeeks. He nodded and smiled at MacDougall and in that nod and smilethere was a meaning that sent a shiver to the whip-master's heart. Thenhis eyes fell upon Obadiah and Nathaniel. He saw the councilor's handresting upon the young captain's arm and a flash of understanding passedover his face. For an instant the eyes of the two young men met. The manat the post took half a step forward. His lips moved as if he was on thepoint of speaking, the defiant smile went out of his face, the flushfaded in his cheeks. Then he turned quickly and held out his hands tothe guards.

  As the young man kneeled before the post Nathaniel heard a smothered sobat his side which he knew came from Obadiah.

  "Come, Dad," he said softly. "I can't stand this. Let's get away!"

  He shoved the councilor back. The lash whistled through the air behindhim. As it fell there came a piercing cry. It was a woman's voice, andwith a snarl like that of a tortured animal the old man struck downNathaniel's arm and clawed his way back to the edge of the line. On theopposite side there was a surging in the crowd and as MacDougall raisedhis whip a woman burst through.

  "My God!" cried Nathaniel, "it's--"

  He left the rest of the words unspoken. His veins leaped with fire. Asingle sweep of his powerful arms and he had forced himself through theinnermost line of spectators. Within a dozen feet of him stood Strang'swife, her beautiful hair disheveled, her face deadly white, her bosomheaving as if she had been running. In a moment her eyes had taken inthe situation--the man at the stake, the upraised lash--and Nathaniel.With a sobbing, breathless cry, she flung herself in front of MacDougalland threw her arms around the kneeling man, her hair covering him in aglistening veil. For an instant her eyes were raised to Nathaniel and hesaw in them that same agonized appeal that had called to him through theking's window. The striking muscles of his arms tightened like steel.One of the guards sprang forward and caught the girl roughly by the armand attempted to drag her away. In his excitement he pulled her headback and her hair trailed in the dirt. The sight was maddening. FromNathaniel's throat there came a fierce cry and in a single leap he hadcleared the distance to the guard and had driven his fist against theofficer's head with the sickening force of a sledge-hammer. The man fellwithout a groan. In another flash he had drawn his knife and severed thethongs that held the man at the stake. For a moment his face was verynear the girl's and he saw her lips form the glad cry which he did notwait to hear.

  He turned like an enraged beast toward the circle of dumfoundedspectators and launched himself at the second guard. From behind himthere sounded a shout and he caught the gleam of naked shoulders as theman who had been at the stake rushed to his side. Together they torethrough the narrow rim of the crowd, striking at the faces whichappeared before them, their terrific blows driving men right and left.

  "This way, Neil!" shouted Nathaniel. "This way--to the ship!"

  They raced up the slope that led from the town to the forest. Even theking's officer, palsied by the suddenness of the attack, had notfollowed. From a screened window in the king's building two men hadwitnessed the exciting scene near the jail. One of these men was Strang.The other was Arbor Croche. At another window a few feet away, hiddenfrom their eyes by a high desk and masses of papers and books, WinnsomeCroche was crumpled up on the floor hardly daring to breathe throughfear of betraying her presence. From these windows they had seen thegirl run from behind the jail; they had watched her struggle through theline of spectators, saw Nathaniel leap forward--saw the quick blow, thegleaming knife, and the escape. So suddenly had it all occurred that nota sound escaped the two astonished men. But as Nathaniel and Neil burstthrough the crowd and sped toward the forest Strang's great voiceboomed forth like the rumble of a gun.

  "Arbor Croche, overtake those men--and kill them!"

  With a wild curse the chief of sheriffs dashed down the stairway and asshe heard him go the terror of Winnsome's heart seemed to turn her bloodcold. She knew what that command meant. She knew that her father wouldobey it. As the daughter of the chief of sheriffs more than one burningsecret was hidden in her breast, more than one of those frightfuldaggers that had pricked at the soul of her mother until they hadmurdered her. And the chief of them all was this: that to Arbor Crochethe words of Strang were the words of God and that if the prophet saidkill, he would kill. For a full minute she crouched in her concealment,stunned by the horror that had so quickly taken the place of the joywith which she had witnessed the escap
e. She heard Strang leave thewindow, heard his heavy steps in the outer room, heard the door close,and knew that he, too, was gone. She sprang to her feet and ran to thewindow at which the two men had stood. The chief of sheriffs was alreadyat the jail. The crowd had begun to disperse. Men were swarming likeants up the long slope reaching to the forest. Three or four of theleaders were running and she knew that they were hot in pursuit of thefugitives. Others were following more slowly and among these she sawthat there were women. As she looked there came a sound from the stair.She recognized the step. She recognized the voice that called her name amoment later and with a despairing cry she turned with outstretched armsto greet the girl for whom Nathaniel had interrupted the king'swhipping.