The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-08-25
The KIDNAPPING of
K~k4 By
Nate J. c. PLUMMER
Copyright. 1904, by Daily Story Pub. Co..

IF THE steamship FALCON nau not
come in five hours ahead Of her
time But she did come in whistling
imperiously and flashing the water with
her propeller as if proud Of her feat
and, as a consequence, the schooner
Amos Buzby, which was moored at the
steamers pier, where she had no busi-
ness, was obliged to pull out, which she
did, sulkily, like an evicted squatter, and
seek berth in the rear of the schooner
Young Eagle, thus exactly reversing the
former position of the two vessels.
Capt Horribly knew nothing OF this,
he being uptown, secondarily, to clear
his schooner. primarily to arrange for an
act of piracy. While pretty Kate Bow
ers had blushingly acknowledged that
her heart was Hornby's, she refused to
hearken to his suggestions for an elope-
ment. Most unreasonably, from Horn
by's standpoint, did Mrs. Bowers OPP
pose her daughters union with the man
of her choice. Mrs. Bowers averred that
she had made mistake herself in her
choice, which was hard on the late Mr..
Bowers, and she was resolved that her
daughter should not do similarly
Hates husband must not be Yankee,
and Horribly was from New England.
She also insisted that her daughters
husband should be Baptist.
'I'm liberal to a fault" said Mrs.
Bowers, "but If anyone save a Baptist
born and bred gets to Heaven he'll
get there by accident, and he'll never
feel at home" d, ~ ..
Horribly was not, IS he expressed it,
anchored to any church. and was wiling
to become either Baptist or Mohamme-
dan, but Mrs: Bowers disdained any such
what she desired.
No man had ever beaten Mrs Bowers
in an argument, or woman, either.
Abortive efforts in that direction were
said to have caused the untimely de-
cease of Mr.. Bowers, and Horribly failed
most miserably. Then he resolved on
piracy. If he could get Kate away from
her mother, he was confident she would
consent to marry him without the ma
ternal blessing, and this he must effect
in some way. The inspiration came to
him as he was navigating his schooner
up the bay, and he directly set about
carrying it into effect.
He invited Mrs. Bowers and Kate to
make a voyage to Norfolk on the Amos
Buzby. and, the city being hot and dusty,
Mrs. Bowers accepted the invitation.
With her watchfulness she was sure
Horribly would have no chance of per-
suading Kate to do anything rash or
disobedient, besides she had sister in
Norfolk whom she would be glad to
visit. Horribly laughed to himself and
already eyed Kate with the glance of
ownership.
The procession to the schooner on the
evening of departure was in this wise
Kate under the escort of Mr.. Beavens, a
friend of the family, and Mrs. Bowers
with Hornby.
"You go aboard the schooner further
est down the wharf" said Hornby to
Beavens. MRS. Bowers and I'll walk
slowly and catch up with you
The night was moonless, and the
smoke of the many factories about the
wharves. settling in the heavy air, made
it quite dark.
AS they strolled along the street
Horribly showed most remarkable in
terest in the various saloons they passed,
and when in one of them, near the
wharf. he noted Capt. Suggs, of the
Young Eagle, theoretically laying in
cargo at the bar, he muttered to him
self: Hes good for a whole nights
stay"
Horribly assisted Mrs. Bowers over the
rail of the first schooner they reached.
and escorted her into the cabin.
Where's Kate and Mr.. Beavens !? ?"
asked Mrs. Bowers.
oh" replied Horribly, carelessly. 81
guess they're walking up and down the
wharf. I'll go out and call 'em in. You
sit down in this chair"
He sprang over the rail and ran
against Mr.. Beavens on the wharf.
where's Mrs. Bowers, Hates wait
ing for herr" asked Beavens.
She's aboard now" lied Hornby.
we came the other way" CO.
Beavens bade him goodnight and
sped uptown, while Hornby, putting his
nands 10 his mouth shouted the name Of
Diggs, his mate.
On that functionary answering from
the darkness, he ordered the Amos
BuzDy to be cast loose and made ready
for the tugboat; then he ran down to the
end OF the steamers pier where, by pre-
yious arrangement, a tug was in waiting.
Horribly climbed on the tug and in short
while hawser was attached to the Amos
BuzDy, which had warped herself ahead
OF the Young Eagle, and the voyage was
begun.
When the river was cleared and the
schooner was in the bay the tug slack
sned speed. drew alongside the Amos