Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-04-11

Sound river too boisterous in either run of
the tide, and even better guarded than was
the land To pass the Harlem was not pos
sible, both banks being sentried by the
enemy, and thus / was held betwixt the
barrier gates" the lower lines, and the two
rivers. In time every foot of this ground
would be secured, and the end looked to be
that would succumb
But the end was not yet. / was well
armed and stronger by dram than when /
came in. left open the windows, changing
my seat to the long table, partly stretching
myself along the bench to render me less
conspicuous. From here l commanded a
view of the front door and all within the
room, being myself quite in the darkness.
Thus / waited for full quarter of an hour
with dead silence all about until the black
brought in my food and candle, setting the
light at the end of the table farthest from
me, pulling down the windows, and drawing
the curtains, though it was far from being
chilly. was about to resent this disposition
of the candle as piece of impertinence, as
it barely cast shadow at that distance,
when l suddenly considered the advantage
of being in gloom, and SO let it bide.
finished everything before me in short order,
and, as though the man had anticipated my
wants, my plate was Immediately recharged
| q bowl of bonnyclabber was placed beside it.
Now, instead of withdrawing as he had
| done before, the black sat himself opposite
me, with every wink the whites of his eyes
swapping in the light of the distant candle.
| After watching my jaws gradually slow
| down as / drew near the end of the supply,
| and while | gave long sigh of relief and
| comparative comfort, he leaned slowly for
ward and, speaking softly, said:
| "Yous hungry, sah!"
Slightly" l remarked; 81 have cen had
a hard day of it."
"Who be you lookin' fo?" he asked, alb
ruptly.
| What's that to you, you black rascal?"
answered with forced fierceness that made
him grin. "Who is the host here?"
Nat Burns, sab; he's away, sab. looks
to de house den. t'au't you might be
'spec'in' some one, sab.
| Not L." 1 replied, having no desire to
confde in a negro hostler. HAS anyone
been here today"
Eyes, sab" he answered, rolling his eyes.
Heap o soldiers, sab. Deys maxim de
house upset all froo lookin' for somebody
Looking for whom?" / asked, now
nightly interested.
1.-TWO or free pussons an young gal, sab.
But dey nebber finds dem here, no, sab!
When am you goin' on, sah?"
/ l had hard work to restrain my curiosity
about those who were being looked for. If
the girl was Gertrude King, and l felt fair
| ly sure of it, then she, too, had escaped ar
rest so far, though it gave me strange feel
ing about the ribs to think that she might
be suffering even as had been. To his ques-
tion carelessly answered:
| Not tonight, at all Odds" For / at once
considered that if the house had been
searched, it was the safest place could find
| in which to abide.
"Ah, by the way" I inquired easily,
know you of party named King?'
"King?" said he, rising and taking up the
candle. mo, sab; no King, 'ceptin' the
good King Gawge."
He held the candle so that for the first
time l had a good look at him. l saw then
that he was not full-blooded negro, his hair
being silky and waved, his nose straight,
with fine nostrils, and his mouth lacking
the thick lips as his skull lacked the prog
nathous development of the true African
His hide was abnormally black, however
and his tongue that of the southern darky
improved by contact with the purer speech
of the north. With all its fine points his
face bore no signs of great intelligence, and
as he looked at me it was almost expression
less.
l feared that if it ever had been, the tav
ern was now no longer refuge for those OF
my party, for it seemed clear that Nick
Stryker had lost the proprietorship, hi:
place having been taken by one Burns (oi
whom had never heard), whose very host
Ter was of rank tory breed. l was glad
had not put myself into the darky's hands
now even being afraid to ask for Strykel
for dread of arousing suspicious against me
IF yous boun' to stay all night, sab,
soon hab nice room, sah," he continued
while was watching him, and taking tn,
light with him, he went out with no apolog!
for leaving me in the dark.
Being alone again, 1 filled my pipe anc
awaited his return with the means to ligh
it, The difference betwixt the man l haC
been an hour since and was at that momen
was amazing, so great is the power of nutri
i ment to life both body and spirits. l wa
ready for another nights wandering i
needs be, though 1 thanked my stars for lacl
of the necessity Stretching myself aloni
the bench, l was almost doing from shee
comfort when 1 heard the tramp of horse
! in the yard, and the next minute the doc
opened and two boisterous voices ram
through the room demanding lights ant
service.
The violent rafting of chair on the floor
which one of the newcomers had used as
means of gaining attention, had hardl
ceased when the negro returned with tn
candle / could not see the faces of eithe
of the parties from my position (which
| deemed advisable to retain), naught bu
their legs showing, but for two they made
vast noise. The negro, without seeming t
notice my apparent absence, placed bottle
. and glasses on the table farthest remove,
y | nd ha fvxy0
: meal, sat down and began drinking.
, And without stint they drank, if one coul,
:. judge by the sound of pouring. The singl
candle but broke the gloom of the apart
, ment, though it was helped out by the moon
I light, which streamed through the sout
: windows and over the sanded boards. BY
. l made out that one of the party was
q cavalryman, his muddy boots and shor
y clothes proclaiming the fact. as we'll as tn
!. sabretasche that trailed on the floor by tn
side of his heavy sword. The other, ais
i booted and armed, was not of the ranks, TO
h his breeches were not embellished or G
4 striking color This coat l could not see,
!. while the hat he flung under the table wa
& but a nondescript slouch without cockadt
: That they had accidentally met was a
. once made plain by the first words tina
v passed between them after the negro LEI
the room.
Il .'An' We are from the northt" said the so
d dier. 1T were fine chance that brough
d us together. ior / am nigh spent an mus