The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-04-20

/ felt my heart rise i'm my throat.
But managed TO circulate as rough
ly as possible: mot a cent"
The negro subsidized. strangely
thought. and said quietly: "Den dey
amt noffin' TO yo' q be 'fraid Of"
The which / was not especially glad
10 hear him assure me for had money
-s6l0-in my wallet-in my breast
pocket-and against ii ! seemed to
hear my heart thump.
For the first five miles the
Then IL veered 10 the north, there
after to turn again, at which point
il ran between sort of hedgerow. At
the further end stood clump OF
trees like sentinel ghosts whose very
appearance had weirdness that was
"shivvery." We reached the end OF
the topless tunnel of bushes. IL was
of the trees the figure of lone horse
man who, as he advanced, urged his
animal into the road completely pre-
venting our further progress. The
negro pulled up the team without a
word. Instinctively / had, at first
sight of the shadowy figure on the
horse. flung my wallet to the bottom
of the blackboard where l placed my
foot upon il. A spirit of deep hatred
for the proprietor of the National
house and my negro driver came over
me on the instant. Everything APP
pearcd as plain as day, all the details
of the plan of robbery, perhaps muir
der, of which i was TO be the victim.
Ny thoughts, however, were broken
by the question put us in peculiarly
musical voice by the horseman who
impcded our passage:
"Where are you gentlemen bound
for?" was the question.
Joplin, sah!" replied my driver be-
fore I could speak
"Then you're on the wrong road"
At that the negro blurted out: "De
wrong road--w'y an been ober dis
road mon 100 times; dis amt de
wrong road-dis is dc right road"
The horseman showed no signs of
anger. All he said was-and to me,
totally ignoring the negro: you're
driver is mistaken, sir. This is not
the right road-or it may be he has
designs upon you-bringing you this
way. If you will permit me will show
you the proper route. must ask you,
however, first, to turn around"
Observing that the negro made no
sign even of having heard. j took the
lines from him and turned the team.
az am sorry TO say" the horseman
went on, that / believe your colored
driver has designs on you, so, in or
der that he may not attempt revenge
upon you, because l have thwarted his
plans, shall ride behind you and keep
him covered" And as he passed the
blackboard from the horses head TO
the rear, the moonlight glinted from
the metal of the revolver he clutched
in his right hand. The negro beside
me, had long since put out OF my
mind as one who desired TO wrong
me. He had not uttered word. IL
was plain to see that he was dumb
from fright. As it was, / drove on
cognizant, as of my own existence,
that from behind revolver was be-
ing pointed at me as well MS nj tho
pitiful creature at my side, though,
rack my brain as / might for motives
| could, in no degree, commensurate
with the circumstances, get at the
meaning of this night affair. AS we
proceeded I glimpsed now and then
In the woods through which the road
wound, the sparkle of several fires,
about which, however, | saw no signs
OF life. From the beginning the horse
man, behind, had from time to time
emitted short, low whistle, that now.
in these woods, was replied TO by
other similar whistles from all sides.
Each moment / thought the next
would be my last. And IL was with
feeling of faintness that ] perceived
we had emerged from the woods. On
down n rough road we proceeded for
at least an hour. At last, of in the
distance, saw the lights of town.
"Now you know / was right" said
the man behind. "That is Joplnl
Drive straight on and you'll he there
i'm 90 minutes. Good night" There
was swish; and / turned just in
time To see our strange escort flying
back along the road, bending low In
the saddle, and urging his horse even
10 greater speed He had gone. /
had not been robbed. My driver was
SO honest as to be dumb from fright
and there, in the distance, glowed the
lights of the town ] had wished to
reach. But what did IL mean-this
strange and apparently harmless adj
venture / had just passed through
II was not until we had fairly entered
Joplin that Joe, the negro. recovered
sufficiently 10 inform me that he had
started out on the right-that Is, the
shortest road-and that OUT escort
had stcercd us of IL, and swung us
half around n circle, losing for us by
the process about five miles in dis
lance and at least an hour in time.
"Do you think we had better say
anything about IL at all here in Jop-
limp 1 asked him.