Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-04-18

the morass from which we had just escaped
As he disappeared, turned ON the Quaker
with the determination of settling few
small matters, and abruptly asked:
Is that man what he seems-a negro:
"Yea, and thee has seen as devoted pa
triot as the colonies know" he answered
''As for his race, It's anomalous. His parents
blood was almost white, but he bred back
ward, as men sometimes do, and is blacker
than the average negro. And he has talent
for 4 go-between. He can mimic so that the
evil one might take him for double. Did
he not fool thee? All. Nick" he contin-
ued, apostrophizng the absent man, 'an'
were it not for thy color thy name would be
great in the field, though not SO great as is
thy big heart!"
Would l had known it! answered. 81
would have atoned for the black thoughts l
had of him. And now, friend Ames," con-
tinued, Il have fancied you other than you
are. Had | known what / now know,
'twould have saved deal of trouble. But,
first, owe you my life for what you did for
me, as, had You not sighted the redcoats and
acted, would"
"We're quits, friend, we're quits, did thee
but know it." he interrupted LET us not
stand here; we have Turtle bay ahead and
no bed nearer. The way is long and rough,
seeing we are debarred the highway. Thee
| be well armed; give me a pistol, for as a
Quaker have not so much as bodkin."
Being no Quaker, then spare me your
| thees and thous," said /, thrusting pistol
into his hands.
"But am Quaker, in truth, friend" he
answered
"A Quaker, and fight"
Il am a follower OF one Elias Hicks, who
takes a wider path than the orthodox But
| the blood is not thick in me, though l am of
the Quaker stock. L fail into the style when
in need of concealment, and carry it out
fairly well-eh, friend?"
Faith" said ], 'I take it you're on a
broader path than Hicks e'er trod. That
| blow would have read you out of meeting
were you true broad-brim. And how did
| you cozen the party at the tavern?" asked,
as we stepped out.
''By sending most of them to the north
| after thee he answered. "To the rest |
Quilted the father of lies, and ended by get
ting them into fair state of drunkenness,
| and after, as an old man, pleaded fatigue
and went to bed. am in bed now, friend,
to them"
Though he still clung to the Quaker style
of speaking, he had laid aside the voice and
actions of the old man he had represented,
| making a strange combination with his long,
white hair, broad-brimmed hat, youthful
| tones, and sprightly behavior. Through all
| his words there was an undercurrent of dry
humor, which seemed to take no account OF
the deep danger we were in, or the, to me-
absolute blankness of the future.
! Nor was this due to bravado or wonderful
| courage Though he lacked none of the lat
! teri, but, as he afterward told me, to the
| fact that with the failure to get help from
| Stryker-a help he had accounted as certain
| .-he had given over hoping, and took des
| perately calm view of the next day or two
surely believing that by then all would be
| over. Yet withal he in no wise abated his
| vigilance, though he considered the hand oil
| death was near him, and when, finally
| there opened up bare chance for our es
] cape from the island, he said it was as
though he had come back from the grave
| Ay, and SO did ]. 1t was as though suf
locating hand placed over my mouth had
been suddenly withdrawn.
! On the start he told me little of himsel
| Though had thought to find him communi
cative), and had TO drag from him that hs
had left brother at Turtle bay, whom hs
was now journeying to rejoin. The youth
| was but year or two younger than himself
| and fairly helpless, having been stricken BY
the Almighty with dumbness from birth
| though not with its usual accompanying
eurse-deafness. From helping the greai
cause in some way both brothers were under
a ban, and my companion's life was forfeit
i If he was taken.
Now as black as seemed my chances, / left
the weight of the old adage of life and hope
being akin, and was By no means over,
ioyed in knowing that we might be handi