The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-03-08


with coarwe weeds and low ahrubbrry. Here
my gaide halted, and, turning about with
ehHckle. said:
Considering they know soothing Of yer 80
ing, yc be safe enough here"
What the dsyii--" began, but be in.
,errup,ed me.
"'Tis plain rnoEsh, my friend. l know
ye now, an thought did at first. Did ye
mark me draw the light from ys al the table
and shut the windowsg'
How did you know mel7
Are ye not the man who bearded Gin
long Who would not know ys after the
day's rnmpas with searchir's an descrip-
tionsf Are there two o. yer shadow on the
islsnds L. not yer name Thorudykef 'T,s
lucky yc fell siOul o Nick stryksr instead o
others"
by the Mighty Are you Nick
Slrykery asked, light bursting on me.
Nick Stryker a my MANS" be answered.
II thcnght y0n sald Nat Burns was"
who ever saw Nat Burnaf be broke in
mo one. He's always away. Come. now,
I've little TO tell What brought ys 10 the
DOycr
'To find one calling himself Rex" be-
''Rexl an ye asked for q NAN o the name
o kingl know nuMe such. hui Rex-why
he Il was that s&id out the tory and saved
yer neck. An ~ knew him not! Well, on
ms soul. It's scarce 4 wonderl"
rs Il possible! Ne more than brother
unborn would have known him, IL Low.
ney deadf" Asksd.
"Ay, he's dead. an ys ha' the credit o w.
Did ye not bear party putting after % to
the nurthg We have no time 30 palaver
Stay here until suidr the Quaker hilher;
he's mAkin' blind fools O an officer an three
men over the body O the tory, but his risk
is great. I tell ys that Rez is sore bsse, him
self, an would hang higher than Haman
we're my position known, Ys each need tho
other, for 'tis beyond me now 30 mors than
help ye out Of the mass ye have just got.
tcn In"
What iG the mans real nams'" asked
as be turned 20 leave me.
"Ames." was the short snswer as he
made of, and In the small light Of the moon
that was now close to It, setting ] marked
hs figure grow leha and less until the nhAd
ows swallowed a.
Now ] saw where had made mistake IN
not closely following directions and asking
for Rex" in the frat place. And equally
stupid had been 10 determining that Nick
Stykcr was openly known by his name
When inquired for King. il had never en-.
tered my bead that ReH could be Aught but
the brother OF Gertrude, and Il noN came TO
me that mhyhap Clinton was inside the
truth when he said that youth had perishsd
in the flames. How, then. could the poor
A u. Ii L..
brother had escaped, according 10 Mira
Badcly, and 'twhs pos1ibls the girl had
known where 10 join him. Either Clinton
had lied or his mistress had been deceived,
and twas a fair muddle to clear. Strykcr
had known me through reputation aud do.
scrip,ion, and II my act had become eele.
braicd 20 might have hers. and ! determined
20 ask him II he knew aught Of the girl for
whom had nov more than passing inter,
est.
However. the matter was not 10 he cleared
by thinking. end as Just now had need Of
my brains in my own behalf, put it aside
aud came home, as charity should
Where was ! to pAss the coming night!
Where was 10 procure bread for the NOR.
row. ! would not fast again, though it
came to catering Q house and demanding
food Al a pisto't point. What was the end
Of 1t all to be- Even now was held pris.
oner by a qusking bog, aud had put myself
into the power Of q man who, m my mind,
was no more a negro than was Rex or Ames
an aged Quaker.
Twas ioolishly weak in me, bu, as one
hour went far into another and nothing
chancrd. | took a blue turn, thinking Of
home aud my mother and my sister. and
their worry and wonderment at my long sh.
sence, finally getting myself into mood
that was made up Of universal doubts, and.
were il not thht had sense Of shame left.
| fairly think might have whimpered like
a sick child.
Indeed. there was nothing IN my surround
ings 20 prick my pluck. When the moon set,
a darkness almost like tina; Of the night be-
fore came down on me. The dew was like
rain on al about, and not SO much as a
stone, wet or dry, was there to rest upon.
The unusual fast, the lack Of sleep, the un.
ceasinE danger and Present inactivity made
me look at matters with iAa.d.s-a sys.
The night voices Of the swamp we're well.
nigh deafeuinE and / was like 10 lose my
head betwtxt the vociferous bellowings Of
the frogs and the strain under which my
nerves had 80 long been strung, when, ss
though they had cope from below, the fig
ures Of Amss and stfyker were before me.