Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-03-17

the mud, Dut was protected by divine |
providence, for no soul saw going or COM
ing while was on the great thoroughfare.
When turned into the lane leading to the
tavern some of my reason returned to me,
and / slipped over the fence that l might
not approach too directly the front door.
There were no horses under the shed as I
on peering through the bar window, l |
marked that the room was unoccupied.
The bar of the Dove was, like many of |
the taverns of the day, as much refectory |
as bar, and the general assembly room of
the house. AS have said, it was deserted, |
and barren of light as we'll, the far corners
being SO immersed in gloom that could |
barely make out the tables under the cur
tanned windows. My advent within brought |
an answering sound of steps, and there en-
tered black man, half waiter and half |
hostler, as made out by his apron, the '
table knives in his hand, and general smell
of the stable he brought with him.
Without ado asked for food-food of any
sort, hot or cold, with bottle of wine, or,
failing in that, stimulant of any description.
I thought the fellow was frightened at my
ferceness, and showed him I meant to pay
for all demanded by pulling from my pock-
ct few pieces of gold and exposing them.
He slipped behind the bar and brought out
a bottle of rum, setting it on table in the
darkest corner of the room, and then hur-
riedly went out, saying I should be served
without delay.
Left to myself, took stiff dram and
looked about me. The room was decidedly
barren in appearance, the only attempt at
ornamentation being in the boughs of
green stuff that had been piled into the vast
fireplace. The rafters overhead, somber
with age, were black in the increasing dark
ness, and the walls, unwhitened for months
and perhaps years, were deeply scored with
names and coarse notices craven by sword
points or bayonets, and smutted by
bar took up space near the entrance, the
floor was clean and sanded, and the only
furniture in the room consisted of an i'm
mense settle in the corner by the chimney,
one long table with bench betwixt it and
the wall, and four or five smaller tables with
accompanying chairs. In strong contrast
with the prevailing dinginess of the apart
ment were the two windows in the rear Of
the room, their curtains of plain stuff as
white and stiff as crusted snow, and the
panes as sparkling and brilliant as newly
minted coin.
With an eye to future action in case of
mischance, went to the windows and found
them unfastened. The view looked east and
showed an infeld with stream on one side,
which 1 knew must drain the ponds and
swamps of the lower Harlem flats in the vi
cinity of McGowan's Pass, and empty itself
culverted, still runs under the city in the
into the Sound river. This stream, now
neighborhood of East One Hundred and
Tenth street,
The sight of it's brush-grown banks and
the oncoming night suggested way of es-
cape, but boat would have been necessary,
and even with this there were the jaws of
He'll Gate and the river patrols to overcome.
| think had plumbed the depths of
every possible chance to get off the island
and on to the main, but saw no way out.
| The Hudson was too wide to swim; the
Sound river too boisterous in either run of
the tide, and even better guarded than was
the land. To pass the Harlem was not pos
enemy, and thus was held betwixt the
BARRIER gates" the lower lines, and the two
rivers. In time every foot of this ground
would be secured, and the end looked tobe
that would succumb.
But the end was not yet. l was we'll
armed and stronger by dram than when
came in. left open the windows, changing
my seat to the long table, partly stretching
myself along the bench to render me less
conspicuous. From here l commanded a
view of the front door and all within the
room, being myself quite in the darkness.
/ Thus / waited for a full quarter of an hour
with dead silence all about until the black
brought in my food and candle, setting the
80, -
lsnt az the emo OF the eaole lar.ne IS. rom
me- puiilns down the WINDOWS ana drawing
the curtains, though 1t was lar from Deing
cniiiy. was ABOUT 70 ieses. .iils u!sposit'on
OF the candie as piece Oh impertinence' as
it barely cast shadow at that distance,
%hen suddenly CONSIDERED tne advantage
OF beng IN GLOOM ana SO let II plde.
finished everything before me IN snort order
aho' as thoush the man hau ah,lclpa,ea my
wants, my my plate was Immediately recharse :,
with hperai supply Oh nam anu eggs WINE u
bowl OF Donnyclapper was placed beside IL;
NOW, instead OF "ithdrawlhe as he haa
done before, the PACK SAT niihsell opposite
me- with every WINK tne whit .s Oh MS eyes y
swapping IN .he ishe Oh the uis,ans calule
iA1ter "atehlhg my JAWS graeuails SLOW
down as drew near the end Oh the supply
and Whlie gave long sign Oh rellei ana
comparative COMFORT ne leaneo Slowly ioi
ward and, speaking softly, SAID:
"1ous hungry, SAN -
slightly, ! remarked; nave en- nae
hard day OF II.
"Who be you lookin' fo'!' he asked, alb
ruptly. -, 30,
What's that to you, you black II :.
answered with forced herceness that u, made
him grin. WHO Is the host mere!
Nat Burns. sab; he's away, sab. look