The Courage of Captain Plum

on his knees beside the prostr

ut his throat, and felt with his hand to measure the faint beating of life in the councilor's breast. For a few moments it seemed to grow fainter and fainter, and a choking lump rose in his throat as he watched the pallor of death fixing itself on the councilor's shriveled face. What strange chord of sympathy was it that bound him to this old man? Was it the same mysterious influence t

n of impending peril. Obadiah's madness, the mysterious trembling of the earth beneath his feet, the volcano of fire, the clanging of the bell and the councilor's insane rejoicing had all come so suddenly that he was dazed. What great calamity, what fearful vengeance, was about to come upon t

over Obadiah's shriveled form and spoke the girl's name again and again in his ears. There came no response, no quiver of life to show that the old man was conscious of his presence. As he worked over him, bathing his face and chest in cool water, the feeling became strong in him that he was fighting death in this gloomy room for Marion's sake. It was like the whispering of an invisibl

uth close to the

n," he said again. "

come to him. He was wildly impatient and to his impatience was added the fear that had filled him as he hovered over Obadiah, a nameless, intangible fear-something which he could not have analyzed and which clutched at his heart and urged him to follow the path that led to Marion's. For a time he resisted the impulse. What if she should come by another path while he was gone? He waited nervously in the edge of the forest, watching, and listening for footsteps. Each minute

way, the quick, excited yelping of a dog. His blood danced as he thought of the gathering of the Mormon fighters, the men and boys racing down the black trails from the inland forests, the excitement in St. James. As he ran on again he thought of Arbor Croche mustering the panting, vengeful defenders; of Strang, his great voice booming encouragement and promise, above the brazen thunder of the bell; he saw in fancy the frightened huddling groups of women and children and b

ndow? The man's voice came to him again, harsh and angry, and this time it was not a woman's words that he heard but a woman's sobbing cry. He parted the bushes and a glare of light fell on his face. The la

around the house. There was no other light, no other sign of life except in th

untary shudder passed through Nathaniel as he looked at them. They were old-so old that the man's shrivelled hands were like those of a skeleton; his giant frame seemed about to totter into ruin, his eyes were sunken until his face gave the horror of a death mask. Was it possible that these people were the father and moth

d, advancing and closing the door behi

man, clutching the knob of his ca

bounded with delight. Marion was on her way to the try

her lips quivering. Something in the terror of he

diah Price for her! O, my God!" she shrieked suddenly, clutch

ort he straightened himself until his towering form rose half a head above Nathaniel. "She has g

y burst from Nathaniel's lips. He flung open the door a

e castle-an hou

te to save Marion! His brain reeled with the thought. Too late-too late-too late. He panted the words. They came with every gasp for breath. Too late! Too late! His heart pumped like an engine as he strained to keep up his speed. He passed a man and a boy hurrying with their rifles to St. James and made no answer to their shout; a galloping horse forged ahead of him and he tried to keep up with it; and then, at the top of the long hill that

ly down the slope a new hope flashed upon him. Was it possible that the discovery of the approach of the mainlanders had served to save Marion? In the excitement that followed the calling of the Mormons to arms and the preparations for the defense would Strang, the master of the kingdom, the bulwark of his people, waste priceless time in carrying out the purpose for which he had sent

the grove surrounding the castle he paused to listen. For the first time it occurred to Nathaniel that the prophet might have assembled some of his fighters to the defense of his harem, which he knew would be one of the first places to feel the vengeance of the outraged men of the mainland. But he heard no voices ahead of him. There were no fires to betray the approach of the enemy. Not even the

ere tightly closed. Nathaniel held his breath, tried to still the tumultuous pounding of his heart as he waited for a sound of life-a step beyond those doors, a woman's voice, a child's cry. But none

alled gently.

ed the narrow walls of a hall and an open door leading into another room. The match sputtered and went out and he lighted an

thrown articles of wearing apparel; a trunk had been dragged from a closet and was half packed; everywhere was the disorder of hurried flight. For a few moments the depth of his despair held Nathaniel motionless. The castle was deserted-Marion was gone! He ran back

amber. A light was burning in the room at the end of the ha

led softly, and

e was no reply, and

o his throat and stifled the cry that was on his lips. He took one of them in his hand, his whole being throbbing with excitement. It was Marion's shoe-encrusted with mud and torn as he had seen it in the forest. With her name falling from his lips in a pleading cry he now searched the room and on th

k hall to light it again. There was a moment's pause as he searched his pockets for a match, a silence in which he listened as he searched, and suddenly as he was about to strike the sulphur tipp

ietly as possible he relighted his candle. A glance assured him that this hall was different from the others; it was deeper, an

She had turned toward the light and in the dim illumination of the room Nathaniel recognized the beautiful face he had seen at the king's castle the preceding day-the face of the woman who had sent him to find the prophet, who had placed her gentle hand on Marion's head as he had looked through the window. There was no fear in her eyes as she saw Nathaniel. Something more terrible than that shone in

no reason to lie to this woman. His face betrayed his own anguish as he cam

lm herself as he sp

eat pity swept over her and she stretched out her arms to him with an aching cry, "Marion is gone-gone-gone," she moaned, "and you must go, too! O, I know you love her-she told me that you loved her, as I love Strang, my king! We have both lo

ht that might have shone from the face of an angel, "Don't you understand?" she continued, scarcely above a whisper. "I have been Strang's one g

The candle fell from his hand, sputtere

! You say that M

im in a whisper filled with

hought that she could love a man in this world. O, my God, is that not a balm for

uld hear the sobbing of her breath and as her fingers tightened about his own his heart seemed bursting with its hatred of this man who c

Marion?" h

n. "They took her away alone. Th

at the temple?" he

ack a little while ago. She s

is St

felt the wo

ran

from him. There was a st

ere is

came n

e-where

n't k

at the

n't k

mbling, an arm's reach out there in the darkness. What a woman

Marion. I am going to take her away. To-morr

tely deserted. So far as he could see not even a guard watched over the property of the king. Nathaniel had become too accustomed to the surprises of Beaver Island to wonder at this. He could see by the lights flaring along the harbor that the castle was in an is

n who always knew what the king was doing. If he could find the sheriff alone-if he could only nurse Obadiah back into sane life again! He thrust his pistol into its holster. There was but one thing for him to do and that was to return to the old councilor. It

t singing the glad words which the woman had

f quick feet. He crouched behind a clump of bushes and waited. A shadowy form was hurrying through the grove. It passed clo

is heart half choked him; a shriek of mad, t

f the great lamp stood