Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-11-03
tCoPYRIGHT, 1894
CHAPTER XXIIL-CoNrrNrrn.

CHAPTEk HAllL-CONTINUE
Itwas eight o'clock, as near as he
could guess, when Stocking and the
two young women got aboard one Of
the box-cars and accompanied him to
the bayou entrance. Very little was
said on the way. Calicot was appre-
hensive and not disposed to talk. His
chief fear was that something would
occur to interfere with their departure
at the las moment, 1t seemed to him
that the rotunda was full of men and
he suspected that Hendricks had been
getting fresh recruits at the bayon
end during the fight at the Laran
portal
When they arrived at the end of their
journey, Stocking very nearly upset
the project by suddenly refusing to
go unless his friend accompanied them,
and it required all the frmness and per-
suasion that Calicot could command to
induce him to proceed. "Do not, he
said, "imperil everything by giving up
your faith in me now. On the day after
tomorrow, when you have secured the
safety of your companions, you are to
come back for me. The government
will have some of its forces here then,
and the issue will not be doubtful, be-
lieve me. But l must stay here to-
night and tomorrow to learn all can
of the plans at the conference. Mr..
Franklin, | understand, has secured
money enough to take care Of himself
and daughter You are free man.
Do not hesitate"
They parted at the entrance to the
lift. Stocking was sullen and unccr-
tain, but he came back and wrung his
friends hand silently, and Calicot felt
that the action was pledge. A mo-
ment later he turned and mounted the
steps of the railway platform with a
sense Of desolation in his heart and an
unmistallable moisture in his eyes.
When they came to the rotunda he
told the guard that he would get off
and walk back later to the arena.
He was left standing on the plat
form when the car moved away. The
great dense shadows covered him from
the army of men below He walked
along the ties to the great wooden
doors of the magazine and stood there a
moment. Then he descended the
steps and was lost in the crowds of
men below.
He had expected to meet Hendricks
at his military headquarters, but one
of the captains who knew him said
that there was a meeting of some kind
and Hendricks and all the other chiefs
had gone to the Office in the arena
where it was quiet.
He then made his way as speedily as
he could through the coal corridors to
the arena, and was surprised to see how
completely the chaos of few hours
agohad disappeared. Nearly all the men
had been gathered into the rotunda,
and save few groups here and there
and the worlmen and officers scat
tered about the place was deserted,
Without a definite purpose he went
Immediately to the quarters where
he and Stocking had lived together so
long. Something of morbid desire to
feel its loneliness now that his only
N'+AA t'tAAAANtA Nelo EOAGf uNbutAbENA 4AlAAAs
The door stood ajar and he walked
in. The moment he was inside he
heard voices. He listened. They came
from the adjacent quarters that had
been occupied by the women. He
moved softly along the partition to the
little corridor that connected the
houses. 1t was dark, ave for the
light that came through an inch or
two Of open door at the other end. lie
looked through.
To his amazement he saw that the
room was filed with people. and he
knew at once that this was the final
consultation Of the conspirators Hen
dricks was there, so also were Mrs.
Hendricks and Fenning. The Others
he did nOt know; he was certain nc
had never seen them before. The
marked characterof the men convinced
him nt once that they were no ordinary
schemcrs.
Hendricks was speaking and Calicot
drew from his pocket pad of paper
and q short pencil. and listened. The
speaker was recapitulating what he
had done To the Laran from the start
and evidently endeavoring to convince
tlcm tlht the conspiracy never could