Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-19

For two hours or more we waited I'M
patiently be fore cur ears. sharpened by
danger. detected the dcadened sound or
quick tranJing feet on the soft soil as
they passed over il.
Here they come cried Georg"; Il will
creep up nearer To the Bayou road and see
how the. thing looks, for 1t was Il Ecsltable
CO iunn. We were aStcuished and alarmed.
II looked as if Dave had gathered the
entire colored population Of the four par
ish-s and was takin" them en- Inasse, as
Noses took the children of israel to the
promised land. 1 could rot SEC distinctly
enough To count them, but George came
back soon as the last "nc ha1 passed
brad. for heavens SAKE hurry UP ana
let get these people lu1J the bush: here
are scent y-thIce men. women and chill
Gron. all in one drove, There II be- waiting
and crashing Of teeth in Attakapas toin9r-
row.
We made all haste toward the Bayou
road. and ran down that a few rods Intil
W. Inat the column. They were hud He'd to-
It;Gcr in the bushes Dave came oHt eau
tintSly - soon a. he heard our footsteps
indeed. most of tAem did the same. but had
W. beu strange l. the wh".e m"yemea at
would have ar,u discovered. George farted
into the woods "a the lower side of the
J. AL.
..uut Of this, Brad" h. cried; ''out of
Thu: thu last man in, viii ynu?''
l >Iui>. quick and low tu Dave: after
him, hoy. After him. III see TO thu people,
Dave
I:e,"gHizins my Voice. he cried. ITS the
Ieddl,r; il : all right spoNe two or
inr't words IL the West Coast idiJn. to as
s,sr- him.
Wrre all safe cried he and followed
Ge'Tse unr hy one. at intervals If few
feet. thy entered the woods. ana III a very
short Jime Were wa'!i:IS ankle deep in
swamp mud and water. where no dog could
track Them. certainly DO hunter,
About "a u'cl..s X were. perhaps,
mi. a. hale mt. l.t1
George. hating the column. cam back.
well. Pad, l must leave YOU sail he.
Il think II best that take your aur<. back
wiki mo Both ct Us ought t. b. al he
store in ,he morning.. | do net think these
people can l.. tracked; The sun has hard
eHct eTery bare spot. and their feet leave
n" impression except where il j. dusty. L
d" wish though that there Were more
water in the swamp
We Were standing a few yards from our
party A. George ceased my ears detected
ncr cochcd his rifle.
No. George too much noise-get Dave"
In moment Dave was with us. little
To our right could hear footsteps \
bright fash shot through the gloom.
"A dark lantern cried George Its
Mason and obed. This is the night they
were /" arrive / don't believe there is an
other dark lantern in AttakapaS."
The strangers had certainly heard our
movements. for they stopped and were
EAGERLY pcering into the darkness. Again
they moved forward, and the lantern
he'd This time | recognized the ebony
features of Obed
''IIo, Obed.' cried George. but no answer
came back The water splashed close by
the light from the lantern shune full IN nv
ia,e. ana the "miII"uS click, click Of ii gun
look was anything but welcome to nv ears.
Ge"rGe spoke. "Obed. is that YOU
This j. me. but who are you?"
George replied, Il am the man who
knocked you On the head with the paddle.
IN. night you ran away from Lannon'S
IL ~ Is he strange Niger with me-
Good. cried Obed. i know your voice
II you were any one else YOU would t,uf
teci dead before now, for We has been
watching You"
oh'd and Mason came UP. "Now. bows
said George, as he presented Dave, take
theSe people 10 the rendezvous and lay
it"- II one attempts u away, kill
nm. We VIII come tor you when ready
t",d-hy, and We were on our way back.
HraG, said George. Dave tells me.
tAat save one or two. perhaps three
hands 200 old for work. coverly has not a
field hand left; and he has also lost one or
Nv" OF his house servants. | dread the
morning. for / shall have to enact the
hypocr.'e until fairly loathe myself"
Leaving our prospective en-! grants In
charge Of Obcd, We FASTENED to the high
road. and Were but a short time reaching
our horses; once mounted. we struck a
ten-mIie gait, and at } o'clock arrived
home.
\ few minutes sufiiced to rub down our
animals and retir" for the rest of the night,
or rather morning George slept at the.
store and / at home.
Next morning business opened as usual.
! had no fear Of evil results from our
nights transactions. Wesner was a bit
I!y and by people dropping in from the
country up north of brought rumors
that Covcrly had lost more negroes. Fly
Ing reports came of Raymund's losses. but
L" one from either place pun in an appear
ancc. The next day the runners were con-
f!rmed- Tn" Wills brothers were on the
warpath. We heard from them before
noon. they had all the men and dogs they
could raise, securing the country about
their places. RUmor said they had lost
ffty negroes, but, Of course, as usual, ru-
NOR Was mistaken.
knew well enough that, failing to find
traces Of them near home they would
start for the Yankee brig at Franklin.
Thursday afternoon came. and with IT
men and dogs. WeSner and myself were
both at IN" store when there arrived
George Wills, Dick Coverly. Mr.. James
'Rdymond's ov"rsesr, and two three
planters from above ppclousas. The negroes
belonging 10 some Of these men had left
the w"rk before. bat no great cxertion had
been made to recover them. as IL was no
unGSua! occurrence The STAMPEDE at Ray
rcon'fS brought the planter together and
opened their eyes. and with n malodiction
against the ah"litiunist. It was agreed to
search the brig. II she had not already
sailed.
Wills. a rough. puenacious and QUARREL
sou.s man. was spokesman Of the party.
DICK Coverly dropped into insienificance
ard made no attempt to lead Wild with
excitement and some Of them pretty well
alarmed the crowd filed the store. They
DID not know where this would end.
is that vessel az Franklin lOaded?" cried
Wells.
No" said Z What is It? Have you
anything TO ship on herr"
SHIP on her. he shouted. Not unless
abe has shipped my niggers. Twenty-Five
Of them skipped somewhere, and We are
going 10 search tho vessel
Mr.. Wills" said !. las that vessel IS
untsg charter TO Wesner * Bradley. shall
feal II my duty to demand search. and
shall accompany you. but first send and
get q sheriff constable and have these
Eroceed,uRa legal for the owners Of The