The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-17

In a few minutes we had emerged from
the town. Ny courage was now put to the
severest test. The cheerful aspect of the
streets, and the light thrown from the
lamps and few shop windows had hither-
to buoyed me up, but my energy and firm
ness, l felt, were beginning to desert me.
The roaG on which we entered was not a
great thoroughfare at any time, but at
that late hour of the night did not expect
to meet either horseman or pedestrian to
enliven the long and solitary journey.
cast my eyes before me, but could not dis
Germ single light burning in the distance.
The night was thick and unwhoiesome
and not star was TO be seen in the heavens.
There was another matter which caused
me great uneasiness. / was quite uE-
armed and unprepared for any attack,
| should my companion be disposed to take
advantage of that circumstance. These
things flashed across my mind, and made a
more forcible impression than they might
otherwise have done from the fact of a
murder having been committed in the dis
trict only a few weeks before under the
most aggravated circumstances.
An hypothesis suggested itself. Was
this man the perpetrator of that deed-the
wretch who was endeavoring to escape
from the officers of justice, and was stigma
tiled with the foulest and blacklist crime
that man could be guilty of? Appearances
were against him. Why should he invest
! himself in such a mystery? Why conceal
his face in so unaccountable manner?
! What but man who is conscious of great
guilt, of the darkest crimes, would so fur
| lively enter an inn, and afterward steal
away under the darkness of the night
when no mortal eye could behold him. If
! he was sensible of innocence he might
have deferred the journey till the morning
and faced with the fortitude of man the
! broad light of day and the scrutiny of his
fellow men.
l say appearances were against him, and
! felt more and more convinced that, what
| ever his character waS-whatever his deeds
might have been-the present journey was
instigated by fear and apprehension for his
| personal safety. But was / to be the in-
strument of his deliverance? Was l to be
! put to all this inconvenience in order to
favor the escape of an assassin?
! The thought distracted me. l vowed
that it should not be so. Ny heart chafed
and fretted at the task that had been put
upon me- My blood boiled with indigna-
ton at the bare idea of being made the
tool of so unhallowed purpose. was re-
| solved. / ground my teeth with rage. l
grasped the reins with tighter hold. I
determined to be rid of the man-nay, even
| to attempt to destroy him rather than have
| it said that | assisted in his escape.
At some distance farther on there was a
| river suitable for that purpose. When off
his guard he could in moment be pushed
into the stream; in certain places it was
sufficiently deep to drown him. One cir
cumstance perplexed me. If he escaped
he could adduce evidence against me. No
matter; it would be difficult to prove that
/ had any intention of taking away his
life. But should he be the person l con-
ceived, he would not dare to come forward.
Hitherto we had ridden without ex-
changing word. Indeed, l had only once
turned my eyes upon him since we started.
The truth was | was too busy with my
own thoughtS-too intent upon devising
some plan to iberate myself from my IN
paralleled situation. l now cast my eyes
furtively toward him. l shuddered as l
contemplated his proximity to myself 1
fancied l already felt his concentrating
influence. The cap, as before, was drawn
over his face; the scarf muffled closely
around his chin, and only sufficient space
allowed for the purpose of respiration. I
was most DESTROYS of knowing who he was;
indeed, had he been 'The Man with the
Iron Mask" so many years incarcerated in
the French Bastile, he could scarcely have
excited a greater curiosity.
/ deemed it prudent to endeavor to draw
him into conversation, thinking that he
might drop some expression that would in
some measure tend to elucidate his history.
Accordingly, said, cts a very dark, IN
healthy night, sir"
He made no reply. 1 thought he might
not have heard me.
"a bad night for travelingr' shouted
in a loud tone of voice
The man remained immovable, without
in the least deigning to notice my observa-
ton. He either did not wish to talk or he
was deaf. II he wished to be silent was
contented to let him remain so.
1t had not occurred to me till now that
had received a paper from the landlord
which would inform me whittier my extra
ordinary companion was to be conveyed.
My heart suddenly received a new impulse
it beat with hope and expectation. This
document might reveal to me something
more than l was led to expect; it might
upravel the labrynth in which | was er
tangled and eXtricate me from all further
difficulty. But how was TO decipher the
writing? There was no other means OF
doing so than by stopping the vehicle and
alighting and endeavoring to read it by
the aid of the lamp, which / feared would
afford but a very imperfect light after all.
Before l had recourse to this plan deemed
it expedient to address once more my tact
turn companion.
'Where am l to drive you to?'' inquired
in so loud a voice that the mare started off
at brisker pace, as though l had been
speaking to her. l received no reply and,
without further hesitation, | drew in the
reins, pulled the paper from my pocket
and alighted. l walked to the lamp and
held the paper as near to it as / could. The
handwriting was not very legible and the
light afforded me was so weak that | had
great difficulty to discover its meaning.
The words We're few and pointed. The
reader will Judge of my surprise when |
read the following laconic sentence:
Drive the gentleman TO Grayburn
churchyard!"
I was more alarmed than ever. My
limbs shock violently, and in an instant |
felt the blood fly from my cheeks. What
did my employer mean by imposing such a
task upon me? Ny fortitude in some de-
gree returned, and / walked up to the
mare and patted her on the neck.
Poor thing-poor thing" l said. You
have long journey before you, and 1t may
be dangerous one"
l looked at my companion, but he APP
peared TO take no notice of my actions. and
seemed as indifferent as if he were corpse.