Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1899-06-02

that at every stealthy step his elbow
brushed the structure His intention
was to intercept piainTtenholm-f6r
he was certain it could be- no one else
and tn force IA reckoning with him.
Half the intervening distance was
passed when Oakinan paused, ,fearfai
Of going farther lest he should betray
himself He could make on. the figure
that was moving toward the trent Of
the dwelling unaware that If he con-
tinued in IA direct line he must inevita
bly, reveal himself by crossing brief
space partly illumined by. the moons
rays.
A minute later the form came into
plain sight and was identified by Oak
man. who il nstonished when he recoR-
nized the slave was literally dumfound-
ed by the discovery that the person be-
fore him instead Of being Captain Tren-
holm was Miss Eldridge
The revolver almost dropped from his
grasp and he stared in open morthed
amazemcnt until the young woman
passed from sight. stepped lightly ON
the porch and entered the dwelling.
closing the door after her
Never for an,instant had he dreamed
that il comb. he size who had met tho
slave under the trees. held a whispered
conference with him and then returned
within doors. where il was not 10 le
supposed her mother or Captain Trcn-
'holm had any knowledge Of her extraor-
dinary conduct.
But she had come and gone likox
phantom of the night, and the quick
witted officer readily solved the mean
ing of il all
''She warned me Of MY danger before
the coming of Captain Trenholm. She
showed me that my only safety lay In
departing at once. The assuring words
OF that officer mny have calmed her
fears for time. buv they did not re-
move them. She believed il was the
same with myself SHE ordered Pete tn
bring her horse from his hiding place
and to watch whether / attempted to
'ieaNc'secret!y. ii \ did so. he was 70
place the animal Mt my disposal
This explanation Of what he had seen
was so reasonable that tho leutenan.
accepted ii as the true one evcn'though
some of its phases were not wholly
Reasonable.
up to the officer, when he saw him drop
to the ground. and make the Situation
clear. Instead. Of affecting all this mys-
teryy Doubtless he WINS acting under
the orders Of his yonng'mistress. Bh.
why did she give such strange direc
tions. and why did she herself act 80
'whimsicallyy
The answer that Lieutenant Oakmnr
gave 'to-these puzzling questions couE
mot have been surpassed inswisdom
''She il a woman.
But he hasl put .his hand to fhcplo~.
and il was.too ia.e to turn back. Hu
had resolved to get ont Of the neighbor-
hood without delay. and valuable asst
fleet horse would have been to him.
nothing could have induced him to ac-
-cept the favor at the hands Of Miss M-
dridge
Passing forward among tine trees. hc
made wide circuit cyond and finally
vaulted the low fence into the highway
over portion of which he had ridden
when he left General Sherman's army
10 enter, upon the most memorable ex-
perience of his ssi:fe.
He was now in the vivid moonlight.
Looking mp II the sky. he saw that tho
ragged. hcecy clouds had drifted past
and the orb was swimming through the
clear space with its rays free and un-
obstructed. AZ they promised to DO fof
several hours 10 come. The stiffness re-
mainod as impressive as before Not
twinkle Of light CLEANED in any direc-
ton. but from some distant point came
the faint growing ossa cock. who. after
the call several times. was
. answered By another fron; q SPOT still
mere remote.
Probably these fowls or. awaking r.
night recalled the fact that they worn
still alive after the passage of Sher-
mans army near them and they coufu
mot help "crowingo over their good fot
tune.
The oflicer's 'pause mt the side Of tho
highway was brief He struck off at n
swinging pare. but hid gone less than
IA hundred yards when he was checked
by a ghnstly
Hello. dar,"
The voice wac from Tho rear IL
stirctively drawing his pistol the lien
Tenant wheeled nborit to.mes. .tbc~EeG
danger
Pete the cid negro slave. was lead
ing handsome mottled pony. bridled
and saddled. through a gap in TIM
fence Oakinan cnlinly waited unth lFe
came mp wien he asked 'bensqrely:
well Pete. wiiat do yen vwart with
,mey'
''Reckon yo' knows. boss. Miss Aieyp
done send me wild her hoss Jack a-sayi..
dat yo. an TO take.him ssia.yo an ridt
like blazes. an 20 needn't be ticker to
send him bac... bein ss.yo 'ssas not hat
tde chance
The animal was beautiful pony.
and would have borne his rider with
the speed of The wind. He was beyond
value to the fugitive. who folded his
arms. locked stsrn,r at the African and