The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-17

W il, hetP. and Alutl Oy tuf ~ oN"'~
ns s,in al a station a few miles north and rs'cues
mNeevv' W.sn-r puts Lucy among friends ana 'hen
st " back to AttakapaS % ,ne Meame. b Is Us %,
S'.T ,,cr,ms lie takes the slaves 10 Canada Mean
mu ! send eight slaves north by the old route go
n y "ssbr.yrport to do some surveying and desecnve
.,rk Wesnfr comes TO see me ana paieiy esSapos
e.sction BY Sheriff Gregg
CHAPTER XVII.
~. John Little lay at the landing. loaded and
,.rnd down. wesner engaged his stateroom
~ lant II until the boat left, and he was sure
49,, was not on board. He had 10 objections
~ meeting Gregg, but not In Shreveport at that
,,us and in the disguise he then wore, as 1t was
,n familiar and might create unpleasant recol-
hctions.
creos's being there could have but one solu-
Nan, He and Beatham were together in some
40, xbether Gregg's or Beatham's l could not
divine.
Grsrs's abilities as a detective I did not fear:
nathan was simply a shrcwd county Sheriff. l
vas thoroughly disguised. but concluded that !
npst be there a week. perhaps more. before l
vould be able to find any clue to their plans.
Iv,in. I was a stranger. and not likely to gain
thsir confidence.
had previously received a letter from q gen.
ssman living some miles back from Shreveport,
skiing me to come at the first opportunity and
,,rysy A lot Of timber lam owned by himself
and others. had returned no answer, as |
vas other wise engaged. This. however. was
the opportune chance. I Immediately hurried
to the steamboat landing. and. with nearly as
much CELEBRITY as Wesner, boarded the boat,
ho,sht my ticket and secured a stateroom.
Travel was very light at this season. The
boat was not advertised to leave until S o'clock.
and | kept watch OF the shore. thinking Gregg
might be on his way to New Orleans. and we
should have the pleasure OF his company: but
he did not make his appearance. Wesner did.
however, before the boat was a dozen lengths
from the shore. I explained to him my idea.
and he readily fell In with II. At New Orleans !
wrote TO Mr.. Richardson that I would be ready
to survey his land as soon as l could get my In
struments from home. These Wesner agreed
To send TO the hotel In La Fayette. had stop
ned ono night at the St. Charles on my return
with Wesner, as I left my trunk and samples In
my room, agreeing to pay for my room rent
while absent.
I changed my clothes. removed my disguise
Ind appeared upon the street as Charles ]
W11ley anu, kOihk uhCS'iy bo N"sOsNS
registered at the hotel there. My instru-
ments arrived. and with them a letter from
Wesner. The letter was about some other busi'
ness, and contained no ~allusion to the U. G. r. r,
Its tone I did not like. There was a big blot OF
ink on the upper corner OF one sheet 1t was
never there by accident. George Wesner did
not blot his papers. An odd phrase. also. allud-
tng 10 It., gave me uneasiness. There Is a big
BLOT on this sheet. I w tried to erase 1t, but
rs you will notice. with only partial sue
cess"
He had scraped a little OF one corner. After
this came his signature.
The evening after my instruments arrived
! was on my way to Shreveport. Arriving
there | found at least two weeks work, and
wrote to wesner to that effect. I had no chain
man with me-, and 1t was necessary to hire two.
One. at least, must be a man who could read
Gd write. | also wanted a couple OF axemen.
determined to nave my friend Beatham's
assistance In this. Accordingly I watched for
him, introduced myself. stated my business,
and asked him il he could recommend a person
suitable to take the head end Of the chain
or two men for chainmen. Richardson fur
nshed his own axemen.) He said he could,
and would be pleased to do so. He owned a
mulatto boy who was brought up in New Or
leans, could read and write, was a carpenter
and Just az present was doing nothing OF any
account. At my request he sent him to me. l
Questioned him. Beatham had not misrep-
resented the boy. He could read and write.
and had ideas above his station. Books were
scarce. and his facilities for obtaining them
49, III, ,r,oo,DnI ao,roos ~ ronl,nu
matter were the various circus and menagerie
posters, with which the South was always
flooded He could repeat from memory the
names Of all the famous acrobats, enormous
elephants, wonderful bareback riders. beau
tiul women and funny clowns who had
exhibited in the State for the last Ave years.
Beatham informed me that his only fault was
chasing ~circuses, and to look out for him II one
cane along, as he was sure To follow. He
once tagged after Joe Pentland's great show
Tor a!ty miles.
lnow Nattered myself that | had the straight
road to Beatham's confidence. and as he lived
only about a mile from Richardson's I spent
Amy spare time with him. Evenings, after I had
corrected my field notes. I would ride over to
ns place. Alec, the mulatto boy. would some
tines accompany me. Beatham was rather
PATENT than otherwise, and Alec informed
ne that he was right down good to him. I
Knew We'll enough that Beatham must talk
sooner or later, and asked no questions myself.
Inc second night ! was there we were OF
me 'eraada smoking. An old single horse,
some one had brought out for n horseback,
5000 near, Beatham sat astride that, pulling
sway al a corncob pipe, his favorite smoke.
Nhe was the chcroot OF those days, varied with
an occasional pull At a T.. ID. The mosquitoes
Ile hungry Boatham smoked and slapped,
.snI'd aud smoked alternately, varying both
v,nhi N intensity as the mosquitoes ad-
"E,rd or rctrcated.
Mac6 acquainted round Tuckapaw, Mr..
"NlFy' he inquired.
le,," ! answered.
now long been there?"
Wii nm
.Ano~ old .Eb Coycrly?"
You heard about the niggers?"
niaa '"ET( I" was at the first hunt. " ] re-
R,,a ia.e%. stated from our store-Wesner
hodHn.oM, now, remember: so they did. /
Wiz ,.IS2t,'n that. DIDN'T esner have q row
II w ,ll man about a WALLER girl OF his'n?"
b 6rc GTr lkn2" abont that" replied. George
rii Tn AInt' Nh" had been standing near.
d." b"ilIlain saw the grin. Here, YOU
you ,biSsL YOU ,Scoot out Of this, or Ill make
IONS are both On top az once" Here he let 90
in n. q hii'pound plug Of tobacco he had
w. Fn!'rd taking the tobacco with him.
.VsS"' NJ iot1cro " | laughed ont.
sr, Ne'"r nlnd .aid Bea,ham, he will keep
tnhicc.' "l ,' = pretty good Niger while the
Coyerl"v ~, But about these niggers Of
rt'Irs, " hrf" do YOU SUPPOSE the id
r, ivy. '"O YOU. Nr. Rea.ham," | replied
ra.ra ere " the hunt. We found no truce
no, W.. 'f'rf"i the -wamp as, Of course.