and on with no sign of ending, hundreds of men never breaking formation in spite of the boy and girl running between them and the fire hose bombarding their front rank.
At least until the gunfire started.
Olenka heard the unmistakable crack of a gunshot far behind her, from the direction of the train station. Seconds after the first shot, she heard another.
And another.
It was then that the Klansmen broke formation. In a flurry of white robes, they fell out of their marching columns and rushed toward the front of the ranks. Many hoisted revolvers from under their robes and loaded them on the fly.
It was the time Olenka had dreaded from the start, when the Klan had first rolled into town. It was the storm, the explosion of danger and death that she'd recognized from her childhood in Europe...different in face and form but always the same in spirit.
Her heart pounded as she ran through the army. Ahead of her, Max cleared a path as best he could, deflecting the worst bumps and knocks and shoves from the Klansmen crowding in the opposite direction.
Olenka heard more gunshots--far, then close, then far. One side was firing at the other, she guessed--the townspeople versus the Klan.
Lilly had become a battleground.
The shots came faster--far, close, far, far, close--then all at once. Max zig-zagged through the Klansmen, ducking and dodging...and then, he came to a sudden stop, colliding with a giant with shoulders as broad as a silo. Olenka caught herself just as she was about to slam into both Max and the giant.
"Goin' the wrong way, sonny." The huge man wore a hood with the mask flap down, revealing his blubbery, bristly jowls. "Fight's up there!" With that, he picked up Max and turned him around to face the direction of the shooting.
"We'll show 'em!" Max sidestepped the giant and pumped a fist in the air. "Show 'em what happens when you mess with the KKK!"
The giant roared and waved a revolver in the air. "Let's go get 'em!" he said, charging forward with the rest of the stampede.
Max let loose a howling battle cry...then spun and ran in the other direction. He snapped up Olenka's hand on the way past and swept her along with him.
They continued to weave and duck through the sea of white, pressing toward the rear of the ranks. Passing Klansmen elbowed them in the sides and stepped on their feet, but no one gave them a second look.
There was too much excitement up ahead. The gunshots crackled like popcorn over a fire, one on top of another.
Finally, Max and Olenka burst free of the crowd. A few straggling Klansmen hurried past them, and then they were clear.
Even though gunshots cracked the air, and the street behind them was packed with an army in white, Olenka felt like she and Max were alone.
Max stopped running and let go of her hand. "We made it." He bent over and leaned his hands on his knees, heaving to catch his breath.
Olenka panted and winced at the stitch in her side. She listened to the continuing gunfire and was glad she'd gotten away from it.
For now, at least.
"Now what?" said Max.
"You have to get away from here." Olenka held her side and tried to walk off the stitch. "Where are you from?"
"Johnstown," said Max.
"And you rode the train from there?" said Olenka.
Max straightened and waved in the direction of the train station. "I won't be ridin' out the same way, that's for sure. I don't think I could get near the train without getting shot."
Olenka thought for a moment as she paced. It wasn't easy to think with all the noise going on in the background.
"Okay," she said finally. "I know what we'll do."
"You know where your father keeps the car keys?" said Max.
"We don't have a car." Olenka started walking down the street. "Follow me."
Â
*****
By the light of the moon and the burning cross behind her, Olenka pointed at the gap in the tree line along the edge of the field. "There it is," she said. "That trail runs most of the way to Portage."
"You mean I'll have to walk to
At least until the gunfire started.
Olenka heard the unmistakable crack of a gunshot far behind her, from the direction of the train station. Seconds after the first shot, she heard another.
And another.
It was then that the Klansmen broke formation. In a flurry of white robes, they fell out of their marching columns and rushed toward the front of the ranks. Many hoisted revolvers from under their robes and loaded them on the fly.
It was the time Olenka had dreaded from the start, when the Klan had first rolled into town. It was the storm, the explosion of danger and death that she'd recognized from her childhood in Europe...different in face and form but always the same in spirit.
Her heart pounded as she ran through the army. Ahead of her, Max cleared a path as best he could, deflecting the worst bumps and knocks and shoves from the Klansmen crowding in the opposite direction.
Olenka heard more gunshots--far, then close, then far. One side was firing at the other, she guessed--the townspeople versus the Klan.
Lilly had become a battleground.
The shots came faster--far, close, far, far, close--then all at once. Max zig-zagged through the Klansmen, ducking and dodging...and then, he came to a sudden stop, colliding with a giant with shoulders as broad as a silo. Olenka caught herself just as she was about to slam into both Max and the giant.
"Goin' the wrong way, sonny." The huge man wore a hood with the mask flap down, revealing his blubbery, bristly jowls. "Fight's up there!" With that, he picked up Max and turned him around to face the direction of the shooting.
"We'll show 'em!" Max sidestepped the giant and pumped a fist in the air. "Show 'em what happens when you mess with the KKK!"
The giant roared and waved a revolver in the air. "Let's go get 'em!" he said, charging forward with the rest of the stampede.
Max let loose a howling battle cry...then spun and ran in the other direction. He snapped up Olenka's hand on the way past and swept her along with him.
They continued to weave and duck through the sea of white, pressing toward the rear of the ranks. Passing Klansmen elbowed them in the sides and stepped on their feet, but no one gave them a second look.
There was too much excitement up ahead. The gunshots crackled like popcorn over a fire, one on top of another.
Finally, Max and Olenka burst free of the crowd. A few straggling Klansmen hurried past them, and then they were clear.
Even though gunshots cracked the air, and the street behind them was packed with an army in white, Olenka felt like she and Max were alone.
Max stopped running and let go of her hand. "We made it." He bent over and leaned his hands on his knees, heaving to catch his breath.
Olenka panted and winced at the stitch in her side. She listened to the continuing gunfire and was glad she'd gotten away from it.
For now, at least.
"Now what?" said Max.
"You have to get away from here." Olenka held her side and tried to walk off the stitch. "Where are you from?"
"Johnstown," said Max.
"And you rode the train from there?" said Olenka.
Max straightened and waved in the direction of the train station. "I won't be ridin' out the same way, that's for sure. I don't think I could get near the train without getting shot."
Olenka thought for a moment as she paced. It wasn't easy to think with all the noise going on in the background.
"Okay," she said finally. "I know what we'll do."
"You know where your father keeps the car keys?" said Max.
"We don't have a car." Olenka started walking down the street. "Follow me."
Â
*****
By the light of the moon and the burning cross behind her, Olenka pointed at the gap in the tree line along the edge of the field. "There it is," she said. "That trail runs most of the way to Portage."
"You mean I'll have to walk to
Similar Books
