The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-29

George Wezner's return. i yer! wen Knew
that he might have 10 spend three days, lef-
hans more nj the rendezvous and then possibly
keep on with tho fugitives; th3tiRht " more
than likely, however. tina, ne would come 1hUk
10 the store and stay "A week or 80. ana mus
avoid even the shadow, Of suspicion:
Night came and no Wesnor- morning, moor.
IN. next day, 4. 3, oriork. sunae,, !" u'
not com, closed the store und went nome
Next morning about ] o'clock, ns ! was tn-
ting down To my breakfast we door oIrneu,
and nav absent partner, wearing u snir W
content and triumph Oh MS '"ce' "a"o' INV
Brad I thought | would breakfast with
yon", ,..,,, IN. ,yoi,rass,
Ne, n ,,la,e and cup for Mr.. MesneT Janc
Disappeared. gave George a look on inquiry;
AN right, i" -ald be-. ,.aIs ana ana s eaIs and . %1.
ind tongues Ne must trust no one now.
Breakfast finished, "" mounted our hor.es
aud set ont for the store nWH.nti ' Rrnd o, wbha,
do YOU think Of NJ ..,n
How far hay. YOU gone, George.
Into the swamp 30 you You ih Ist ~ know how
YOU managed how did Won splrlt ven ua,hpe.
nway from toverly'- place why we're vnn no,
discoveries, Give mo thr whole s,ors sirce "ats oe
newScame. Why did you not let me know about
We'll To answer your last question first,
| didn't want YOU 10 know about II until It was
over, for your face might betray YOU. ~ your
anxiety To hear from me. md again, diu no,
really know myself that | should besih as soon
Il made arrangements with Lucy long ago
TO meet her regularly every THURSDAY nlght at
n deserted courthouse, u short distance from 'he
Sometimes she came and | was no, there.
but generally both Of ~ MANAGED To He. 'nsIe
left thai one had waited for the other, wa. tie
removal of a small stone from one side OF ne
building 20 the other. Thus, you perceive
! am an old hand at deception. | dare not write
| IN hprt sbn Inns Urittpn Ia me. for. while l TDlllU
receive her letters and she could mail them,
who ever heard Of n plantation Niger receiving
letters?
Last Thursday was earl. at The corn orr
house. Lucy was there, full Of trouble. That
Young devil of ,overly's was expected home
the newt week or sooner. and what should she
do? Poor eirl, she cried as though her
heart would break. I sat there awhile and
Thought, my brain seemed ON IRE. mere
For the first time IN: awful responsibility that
] was taking forced itself upon my mind !
must decide The morning sun must not shed
its light upon her and She a slave in the power
plans. In thirty minutes she. had gathered
her poor little XII Of clothes and called around
her those of the slaves whom she could trust
Giving her directions how to proceed, l left
her. as ! had 10 procure my own disguise
Il had given Lucy directions, he saidsNo
take the party a. for as keldra's place, and,
il did not oyertafe them, TO turn on, at the fork
Of the road. so INTO the woods and await my
MY, disguise vas that Of a negro, black as
| When | spoke, old Nose cried out, It's a strange
"I waited 2 minute or two until all was quiet
There her b %sTs four Wo I9iie Sc 10 56 r SSfsa and' IN less than
| sad lie. tucked old Moses tw" small children
on behind, and IT., taking nnmd the . lead IhS H,aT rSs rc on
followed, sometimes running, and then. falling
along a. they stumbled over roots and, fell INTO
the ruts Of the old bayou rond. Old Nose
must have Cravled the last mile before We left
the woods
Bradley, those were moments Of intense anH-
ietv Twas on a public highway, but seldom used.
II is true, vet some bcnighted individual might
| come that way. | started into a sharp run and
kept a short distance ahead Of the party, strain
ing nv ewes in the vain endeavor To pierce the
condensed darkness. and listening for the
slightest indication that would give noticeofthe
approach of strangers,
Il verify believe every dog in the parish
barked and every mule brayed, for there was
one constant succession Of barking, bowling
| and brayinr, and 10 add to our peril beside
| the road and not over three rods distant was
the shanty ~ n free negro. who like most OF
his kind keeps Il legion of dog that either
hearing or scertinI W., cleared theif ,hroa'sa ana
I knew there wa, no danger, for moth
ing saw" an earthquake or n chiCken-siealing
expedition will turn a Niger out IN the nieht,
Yet could but feel alarmed at the internal
din, especially "a We We're not above "A mile
away from where weleft the road for the swamp.
Had any man attempted to STOP nslt would nave
cost him his life
Much TO my relief. we reached the place
without interruption, and at daybreak wer"
a mile from thc.old road and ankle deep IN
the waters of the swami. kept on about
a mile, and az sunrise halted on a knoll that
rose q few feet above the waters OF the sur
rounding country and was comparatively
dry, slowly the poor tired creatures came
struggling in and threw themselves M full
length upon the moss and leaves.
/ dared not build a fire, for the day was
still. and the ~tell-talc smoke might betray
our whereabouts 10 eyes that well know must
be wntchinG for Us ere this. but which ! trusted
! had thrown of the scent by the. r'l-e NJ the
Il have forgotten 10 tell you that ] turned
a dozen Of the old mans mules loose and sent
them scampering in another direction just
In the morning I told my ~fucitives 10 take
a bite AT their luncheons. and gave each Of
Temperance beverage revived their courage
amazingly.
and a. the sun gradually mounted higher and
mo more cheerful, having already begun to build
air castles a. 10 what they were going 10
again we started I took the lead with
Lucy. Next came Old Nose. then his wife.
while Inmuel Mason brought. w in the rear.
The two children were carried in turn by
the men; they're only little bits, > and 3
years old,
"iemucl Mason, as. the boys all call him.
Is a worry smart. bright man, n mnla,to, he
can read a little. and Is going 10 be in great
help in getting the party through. have
left him in charge Of the crowd NJ our camp,
The water in the swamp il now about six
inches 10 a foot in depth with now and then
IA much n possible, for ! was careful 10 leave
no trace or trail for O dog to follow know
n bloodhound well. No Niger hunter ever
catches me or mine with one or a dozen,
However, To- make an end OF my story.
We arrived safe and unpursued NJ our rem
de2vons about noon. II was slow walking
and tiresomr.
brad, Won should have heard their excla-
nations Of delight ri the sight Of the cabin
we had built. never knew a negro had 80
never realized the fact before.
Il vas known to them only as n strange
Niger. and they had n notion in their heads
that was from the North, They could nor con-
celve how got there. but while they felt that !
WAS one Of them. they well knew they were
lost without mo. so after dinner when ! called
Mason up and put him in charge Of the, place.
ihey accepted the position without a word
The disguise OF n negro will not do for us
when when we have our convoy In n difficult
with IL that idea of obedience we must exact
of these people 10 get them through the perils
of our swamp and night Journeys. realized
it first. and Lucy further told me that 10 sue
coed we must don our natural characters, or
at least appear rs whit" men.
roofing and fixing the house 10 make II COM
Portable, and Lucy will have general superin-
tendenc" of the Camr, as they AROUSED 10 obeying
her. then told them that n white man would
be their guide out of the swamp.
"Abont ? o'clock left, Cautioning them
mn IN lose sight al The Damn. In he ma nIlpf