Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-05-09
CHATTER XVII.

heard him giving some directions
in low voice to June, the Hottentot,
in the next room. There had once been
. door between the two apartments,
but it had either been carried off when
the last tenants left the house, or had
been annexed since then by some casu-
al passerhy for iirewood. So that by
sitting up in bed, was able to see
enough of a hugo fireplace in which
stood rastic CRATE, to know that that
room had formerly been kitchen.
L heard the Hottentot giving his an
swers in the curious lingo used by the
natives. Then i heard the sound Of
door being opened and shut, and the
voices ceased.
lay down again and listened. Then
I became aware that one or the other
only OF the two men had gone out, and
wondered whether it was Mullion
or the native who was now in sole
charge of me. If it should prove to
be Mullion, then felt that I must
prepare for the worst; if, on the other
hand, it was the Hottentot who was
left / might perhaps buy him over to
my own service. | had already ascer.
tanned, when finding my pocketbook,
that both it and my purse were I'M
touched and contained the consider
able sum of money carried about
with me. A small revolver, too, and
some cartridges, had not been taken
out; and these / secreted under the
bundle of dried. grass wrapt round
with rug, which served as pillow.
Then dark face peeped at me
through the doorway, and I beckoned
to the fellow to come to me-
At first he shook his head, and
glanced behind him as if to intimate
that this was against the orders of
his master. So, keeping my hands we'll
under cover that he might not be
tempted to use violence to helpless
man on finding out the extent Of nv
wealth, l held up sovereign Tempt
ingly before his eyes.
The man grinned and looked behind
him again. He was evidently doubtful.
1 nodded encouragingly.
'If you'll do some thing for me,
june" I said, persuasively, keeping
my ears on the alert to find out wheth-
er anybody was with him or not, you
shall have this all to yourself
He nodded rapturously and, with a
last timid look behind him, came for
ward over the rough floor INTO the
room.
Has your master gone out, June9''
was my first question,
YES. baas," replied the Hot tentot,
quickly, and he then informed me that
he had been ordered to take great
care of me, and to give me everything
l wanted, but not to Let me try to get
out of the house.
next asked him if he was alone, and
he said that he was, and, moreover,
he volunteered the information that
1t would be some time before his mas
ter came back.
DO you know where he's gomez" 1
then asked
But to this June shook his head, and
l settled in my own mind that Null
lions absence was connected with the
safe dispatch of my letter to Jennie
Atkinson. My next question was rath-
er a delicate one; 1 feared that the
man would have been provided by
Dick with some cautious answer on
the subject.
DO you know where the wagon is
that belongs to me?" asked at last.
No. June neither knew that, nor
appeared to receive my question with
any mistrust.
Were you with your master when
he found me?" l next asked.
Oh, yes, June had been with him and
had helped to put me into the mule
cart, which brought me to my present
resting place.
''Do you think" I went on quickly,
encouraged by this, that you could
find your way back to the place where
you found me, and then on to where
my wagon is waiting, not far from
there? You may know it by the man
in charge, who is called Tom-a tall,
thin Englishman, with scar under the
right eye. l think you will find gen.
tleman there, too, an Englishman,
with white hair and short white
beard. If I give you letter for the
Englishman with the white beard, will
you take it and try to find him?"
Having made it clear between US
that the gold piece was to be his re-
ward if he found the gentleman and
brought me back an answer, June, not
without some evident qualms as to
what would become of him if his mas
ter should return before he did, con-
scented to fulfill the mission.
But, as precautionary measure, to
insure my remaining where I was, he
took away my clothes and hid them.
l protested strongly against this and
pointed out to him that I was too
weak to make any attempt to escape.
But he only shook his head and
grinned, and / had TO submit.
So l finished the Short note had
written to the doctor, and gave it to
the Hottentot. who then went off on
his errand without further delay.
1t was in a strange plight that I
found myself left, and when I heard
the outer door shut behind the native
l felt half inclined to crawl across the
floor and to bid him return to me.
The silence seemed awful, worse
than my captivity. worse than the
presence of Dick. I thought l should
die there, all alone, before the good
doctor could learn where was, be-
fore his mysterious and moody nephew
could come back to his strange charge.
nictured tn myself how A. .s,,