The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-01-11

10 the iert. keeping his eyes on the groun
all the time Suddenly he paused. Their
was fresh groove ia the mud, where
boat had been drawn up, and among TIL
prints about it he saw the marks mad
by a small bare foot. zeb turned AM
ran back to his boat. sprang in and rowe,
across through the gathering gloom ia
ward the camp on the point. The light
were twinkling in the sllanties when b
reached it, and he coul hear snatches o
ribald song and coarse laughter and loni
talking in the house boats where the mel
were quartered. He ran his skiH in be
low the work, tied it to a cypress s.knee'
and stealthily went up among the cab
ms. He inspected each one, now peerine
in through the doors of saloons or listen
ing at open windows, holding his cal
to cracks in the weatherb boarding ani
whistling softly at times. He had reached
Almost the last shnnty before his search
was rewarded. Then, as he whistled a
faint note that sounded for all the world
like the piping of rice bird, he heard
the voice Of Cortlia, suppressed to almost
whisper, call il a frightened tone,
sszebi Zebw He put his mouth close up
to the boards and asked:
"Ez thet 20, Cordia2' And the voice in
side replied:
'sOh, yes; help me. Zeb. They u'nstoted
me off fru1n hum an hev locked me in
yere."
Zeb thought a moment, then he
Strengthened up and without a word
walked to the front door of the saloon,
for such it was 1t did not seem like
Zeb Posey who strobe into the room
among the rough men gathered there, SO
high did he hold his head and such new
vigor was there in his frame. He had
lost the shutting gait he once had and
his hands were nerveusly clutched in the
visible expression OF his determination.
Walking straight up to the brutal and
bloated ruffian behind the bar he said:
"Fve cum fer Cordia.
aWho in hi is Cordiaw was the
harsh response. ~
ssshe's my sister," replied zeb frmly,
san yo might ez well Civ her to me, for
I'm cum to git her. 70 can't steal q
mans kin without he fights fer 'em no
morn ye ken tex a cub wildcat outer its
nest an not spect to hev to TT fer it If
the old 'un's thar"
sYou get out, said the bully behind
the bar as he drew big SIX shooter and
held it threateningly in his hand. You
must be crazy to think we've got yer
si efn,. I.l.Jxad M, hare y
I'm no fool and ye ken shoot if ye
want TO-" said Zeb, never quailing be-
fore the revolver; shut tell " I'm goin'
to hey tibet gal or I'm goin' outer here
dead" Then casting an appealing glance
over the crowd he asked, Amt there no
un here 'el help me get a innocent gurl
way frum yere?"
An ironical laugh was all the response
be received. The dozen rnfiianly men
gathered in the squalid room were too
much hardened by nature, or stood too
much in fear of the bully at the bar. to
interest themselves in this appeal There
had been much drinking, and most
of them only leered at zeb in the
silly manner of men whose heavy brains
are besotted with drink Zeb scanned
their rough, hardened faces, searching
for one single expression that might bid
him hope for help. and turned away
from them with scornful sneer of com
tempt upon his white face and his drawn
lips. Then a look of reckless deternina-
ton stole over the fsherman's face, and
with muttered speculation he sprang
around the corner of the rude bar and
toward the door of the back room. But
the ruiian behind the counter reached it
first, and with cruel blow from the
butt of the heavy revolver he sent zeb
to the floor, limp and insensible.