Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-09
Copyright. 1900. by s. S. Mcclure Coz
SYNOPSIS of Preceding Chapters.

synopsis OF ireceuthS
Five years before the outbreak of the civil
war love Of adventure. hatred of slavery
and the desire help my friend, George
Wesner led me- Charles Bradley. civil
engineer Of Attakapas county. La. I" be-
come an agent of the underground railroad.
Wesnor had been nursed through the small
pox 10y Young slave Lucy. belonging To
the Covcily plantation. lie discovered facts
which proved that Lucy white and OF
good fanily. \ secret love match followed,
when progressed well until Cnverly pro-
posed to sell Lucy to his son and refused
To sell her any one else. Wcsner became
desperate. ! agreed 10 help him steal Lucy,
ard went To- New York to arrange with the
Anti Slavery Society for the care of any
slaves We could bring north We arrange
cur end Of The underground railway AMI es-
tahlish a refuge AT my wood yard several
miles MP the river. At home we divert Sis
pici"n Icy carrying on Il general mtrchahi'Se
business Wcsnor makes the first venture
and starts with ten of Cnverly's slaves. in
Guiding ncy. He takes them through she
crssfully delivers them I" the agents in
New York and places Lucy in school In An
dove. In the Second venture we encounter
more adventures. hut finally succeed IN snip
ping seventy three slaves north by sea along
with a cargo Of cotton The following
srriug we collect another lot at the ren'irz-
vo,ls and Wcsner takes them north I" CAIRO
over tn. old route. Lucy is ognzed hy
snI,therrier in Boston and is betrayed. Mean
time, Pierce a friend Of Wesncr's. hears OF
The warrant for 1-ucy's arrest. and he starts
ont 10 warn her. Pierce and Lucy are over
taken ard the sheriff. Gregg starts back to
Louisiana with Lucy 10y train Pierce tele-
graphs tie agents at Cairo. Wesner is
there and aided by the Cromwells he
boards the train at station a few miles
north and rescues Lucy.
The deed was done-Coverly's Lucy was
again a free woman. The road was smooth,
the horses fresh and the day pleasant. The
Cromwell boys grinned through the color
ins, on their faces and looked like veritable
darkies. This makeup was of no care.css
character. for their shoulders. neck and
faces were stained perfectly. Long expert
ence had rendered them adopts at dis
euiscs. and Lucy supposed them to he the
genuine until one of them spoke to WeS-
ner
Wasn't that neat job, Wesner?'
Wesner assented. but the old man Crom-
well was not so sangune. Don't crow,
boys. until daylight. We've got to get this
girl away from this station. for that mar
shall isn't dead. and by night may hover
around here with posse from Cairo. These
internal shackles are as hard as flint; they
are cast stee'.
TRY the lock staple. father" said Hiram.
The lock staple was tried. and. luckily,
1t was iron. The well-tempered file made
short work of it, and the shackles were re-
moved.
In about two hours they were at Crom-
wells. The horses were taken off, the water
Colored paint washed from the wagon, dis
guises We're hidden and the old farmhouse
was simply an innocent dwelling.
WeSner kept his disguise. as he in
tended to accompany Lucy to Charleston
and meet Pierce. When the latter received
WeSner'S telegram he was little SurpriS-
ed. and had about ha { mind to keep on
to Cairo. but reflection came to the sensi-
bic conclusion to obey orders. especially as
his previous acquaintance with Wesner
led him to understand that the man was
''in danger tried" he dropped his own
argument and to Charleston went, arriving
there. on the evening of the rescue.
Although not aware of the proceedings
of the Cromwell party. he suspected they
would be important factors in the affair.
az he had once stopped at their place and
had some knowledge of their character
and gamencsS. or. as he expressed II,
'Thev Were proper sandy
He fingered around Charleston all that
day. and he gan to feel somewhat impatient
and a bit disappointed as two trains passed
and news.
Ing. H. had no recourse but to spend the
night at Charleston and sleep if he could.
Next morning he was at the station, hop
ing that he might hear something from
Wesner. Not wishing to ask questions, he
could only listen for any gossip that was
flying. But as there Were neither people nor
gossip. listening awaited nothing.