Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-08-09
"Yous hungry, sah!" i. ....5. Il
Slightly" ! remarked; IT have cen had

ruptly. --r
What's that to you, you black rascal?" l
answered with forced ferceness that made
him grin. "Who is the host here?
Nat Burns, sab; he's away, sab. looks
to de house den. I t'au't you might be
'spec'iW some one, sah."
Not l." I replied, having no desire to
confide in negro hostler. HAS anyone
been here today"
Yes, sab" he answered, rolling his eyes.
Heap O soldiers, sab. Deys maxim de
house upset all froo lookin' for somebody"
Looking for whom?" I asked, now
nightly interested.
Two or free pussons an young gal, sab.
But dcy nebber finds dem here, no, sab!
When am you goin' on, sahw
! had hard work to restrain nv curiosity
about those who were being looked for. Ii
the girl was Gertrude King, and felt fair
ly sure Of it, then she, too, had escaped ar
rest so far, though it gave me a strange feel.
ing about the ribs to think that she might
be suffering even as l had been. To his ques-
ton carelessly answered.:
'Not tonight, at all Odds" For I at once
searched, it was the safest place could find
in which to abide.
"Ah, by the way" I inquired easily,
'know you of party named King"
"King?" said he, rising and taking up the
candle: mo, sab; no King, 'ceptin' the
good King Gawge."
He held the candle so that for the first
time l had good look at him. I saw then
that he was not ull-blooded negro, his hair
being silky and waved, his nose straight,
with fine nostrils, and his mouth lacking
the thick lips as his skull lacked the prog,
nathous development of the true African.
His hide was abnormally black, however,
and his tongue that OF the southern darby
improved by contact with the purer speech
of the north. With all its fine points his
face bore no signs of great intelligence, and
as he looked at me it was almost expression
less.
l feared that if it ever had been, the tav-
ern was now no longer refuge for those of
my party, for it seemed clear that Nick
Stryker had lost the proprietorship, bis
place having been taken by one Burns (of
whom l had never heard), whose very host.
Ter was OF rank tory breed. I was glad l
had not put myself into the darky's hands,
now even being afraid to ask for Stryke1
for dread of arousing suspicious against me.
IF yous boun' to stay all night, sab,
soon hab nice room, sah," he continued,
while l WAS watching him, and taking the
light with him, he went out with no apology
for leaving me in the dark.
Being alone again, filled my pipe and
awaited his return with the means to light
it. The difference betwixt the man I had
been an hour since and was at that moment
was amazing, so great is the power Of nutri-
ment to life both body and spirits. I was
ready for another nights wandering if
needs be-, though thanked my stars for lack
OF the necessity. Stretching myself along
the bench, was almost doing from sheer
comfort when heard the tramp of horses
in the yard, and the next minute the door
opened and two boisterous voices rang
through the room demanding lights and
service.
The violent rafting Of chair on the floor,
which one of the newcomers had used as a
means of gaining attention, had hardly
ceased when the negro returned with the
candle. ! could not see the faces of either
OF the parties from my position (which
deemed advisable to retain), naught but
their legs showing, but for two they made a
vast noise. The negro, without seeming to
notice my apparent absence, placed bottles
and glasses on the table farthest removed
from mine, and the two, after ordering a
meal, sat down and began drinking.
And without stint they drank, if one could
judge by the sound of pouring. The single
candle but broke the gloom of the apart
ment, though it was helped out by the moon,
light, which strcamed through the south
windows and over the sanded boards. By it
l made out that one of the party was q
cavalryman, his muddy boots and short
clothes proclaiming the fact, as we'll as the
sabretasche that trailed on the floor by the
side of his heavy sword. The other, also
booted and armed, was not of the ranks, fo1
his breeches were not embellished or OF
striking color (his coat could not see)
while the hat he flung under the table was
but nondescript SLOUGH without cockade
That they had accidentally met was at
once made plain by the first words that
passed between them after the negro left
the room.
''An' We are from the north" said the sol
der. at were fine chance that brought
US together, for am nigh spent an must
ha' travelled back on an empty belly had we
not crossed"
':Have We no news O either o them?'
asked the civilian, earnestly, ignoring the
formers remark.
NAY, man. IT'S the coolest scent e'e,
put nose to. Scammells an ass to think they
fled together, an twice an ass, too, to lool
for a flying man an woman along the main
highway! Have any of your gang lit or
news? This failure puts me 20 poun's out
O pocket, for l was to ha' that if could
h,,f to k1,o h. a.
sure Of"
"Why of him."
''That he's not tellin' the likes O me
though think he means to lure him."
Lure him! the fool" said the civilian
''The man who can overcome Scanned
with an ever, throttle Clinton an run the
lines on his fist is no bird that can be
touched with salt. Faith! It's nothing but
cold lead an steel that can take him, an
wish might cross swords with him, for Al
his bigness."
"Well, by the piper!" broke in the sol
der, banging his fist on the table, "I'm fain
to meet him myself. I'd show him sword
play"
.'Shut up, ye brag! He'd make but pinch
o We! Better stick to the woman, who'd
come easy when ye sighted her! What's the
outcome along O. Belden?"
"Belden!" said the soldier, with laugh
and an oath; "Clinton will ne'er forgive him
for bringing forward such a mountain o
fraud. He's cen prisoner on board his
own ship, an Scanned is in the old man,
bad books for havin' blabbed something to
the girl wot not what. There's the devils
own muss below, made worse by the fact thai
both man an woman ha' gone up to Heaven
or downward, for no sign O. them is on the
island, an they ha' not had time to get of
it by plain means -; s. * -
The girl had a pass, Twas told"
-; All passes were stopped, though not in
time at the lower lines, to my thinking.