The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17
GUINEA
 NlIGGER
 'AANI .......V .Vandiver
!(Continued from Page Ose,

 fear. For one moment July Landing feared his heart had stopped beating in ffiis breast at the gruesomc news than, without more questions, he speo like a starrieu deer away in the dtrec- tion Of Guinea San's hut in the cypress swamp 1T .'atss
 Reaching the place. breathless and tneoherent, he managed to acquaint sam with the condition of affairs. without a word that worthy took down his ''conjuh bag from the wall, and set on in a long dog -trot in a due north direc?-e ti6r,, closely followed by July. Over roots. through dense undergrowth. across small bayous. through clumps of cane they struggled for more than an hour, until they reached small pro- monotorv jutting out, into shallow lake, in the very centre of the swamp. There was clear space of an acre here, and a. sort of nondescript hut. half logs and half brush occupied the east ern side of the clearing. Sitting on
 rude bench at the right of the cabin
 was Irene. By her stood Railroad Bill" with hideous smirk on his brutal face The dreary surroundings, the half
 half twilight of the, swamp, and the long Spanish moss of the clustered trees made a gloomy picture. indeed. July. after a whispered conference with
 Sam, agreed to keep still until Sam
 
 show himself. The conjurer left him and noiselessly proceeded to work his way around to the rear of where Rail- road Bill" was standing. Directly
 July heard a signal. the bark of red
 squirrel. and at once he stepped out
 into the open, in plain view of the des- perado.
 Instantly Railroad Bill' seized his ready Winchester, throwing the gun to his shoulder. but before he could fire, from just behind him there came an fn- describably savage snarling, as Of an angry dog in the act of fixing his fangs in an enemy. Wheeling with the rapid fty of thought, Railroad Bi1f' saw an apparition that absolutely froze the marrow in his bones. A hideous black face, on half-naked body, eyes and mouth from which lurid flames of fire proceeded, peered at him. and to com plete the terror of the sight, there were three living, horrible serpents writhing and missing in the uplifted right hand of the approaching demon. With zg-zag springs, and horrible snappings. yelpings and snarlings, as of a dog mad with hydrophobia, the menacing figure came quickly on, twirl- Ing the serpents, as savage toys with a war-club in battle.
 "Railroad Bill' was frightened be- yond the power of motion. His eyes stood out, great drops of precipitation ran down his greasy face, and his limbs trembled as with palsy. When within ten feet of him. the demon, with a dex- trous motion, threw the serpents with SO fair an aim that they circled through the air, and landed full on Railroad Bill's" neck, instantly wrapping that part of his anatomy in a close. choking embrace. Bill sank in a faint. limp and helpless to the ground, where in a trice he was securely. dextrously tied by Sam and July.
 ''whoopee" yelled Sam. in the exu- berance of his victory. Talk erbout \ yer. cunjah docters! Dis heah nigger Is de boss ob de hole comertatus! Oar desc heah diggins! Uh. yah! yah! ! Haw! haw! haw! Didn't I skeer dis Neah Bukra nigger plum inter fits?" July, however. did not participate < ia Sam's paean of victory. but. instead, snsied himself in looking after Irene That young lady was soon herself again, as she had not been in any way ! mistreated by Railroad Bill" In a little while the party started back to the village, Sam with his pris- oner under careful watch, while July 4 and Irene walked behind. On the way 2 she drew from Landing the short story of his life. and with great tact led him \ on to talk of his hopes and ambitions, but whenever July would try to nerve T himself up to hint at the condition of q his feelings toward herself, invariably | his courage failed him. Just before < parting at the ColoneFs gate, she was expressing to him her thanks that he $had twice saved her life. and with an impulse of thankfulness she seized his hand and pressed 1t between her soft palms A ten-gun battery would not V have made half the impression on July as did the touch of those velvet fingers. # He started, flushed a rosy red, swal- al.1 11rs I 11tI tNNNt to save his life he couldn't think of word to say.
 At this juncture some people of the village caught sight of Guinea Sam with his prisoner, and soon an infurt- lated mob had assembled. A stout rope was produced. an empty barrel served Mas a rostrum from which Railroad NsBill'' was permitted to make a few bremarks. The said remarks were never #concluded, as in the midst of a very #emphatic sentence some impatient indi- 6vidual kicked over the barrel.-thereby lending the sentence-and Railroad #Bili."
 For ten blissful days July Landing |egain walked the forest paths, and felt |yhe touch of the hands of his mistress
 -only in day dreams, however,-for he #reJnd 1t morally impossible to gather #gufiicient courage to call on her. In- |sfeGd. he was doubtful of his reception 1IIad not the Colonel warned him to |stay away. and what action or sign &from her had he thaS his presence would &he welcome? There was an fmmeasur- #able gulf of caste between them-an Sabyss of diff erence in station, a sea of *social distinctions He was founding
 -she the petted heir of wealth and *ancestry. Pshaw It was idiocy for #him to aspire to such heights! Every zday July would fight over again the
 battle between his judgment and his
 passion, only to begin anew the con- Stest on the following morning. On the
 tenth day he resolved to go over and fall at her feet. with burning words on Ihis lips of love and despair, and filled z with this intention he dressed himself #swith great care, and started, his cour-
 age oozing out of his heart as he
 walked
 At the turn of the road in sight of the village a squad of mounted United States marshals halted him and the
 leader asked:
 Are you Mir. July Landing?'
 q am," answered he.
 Then it is my duty to arrest you for
 putting timber on government land, hnd for criminal trespass and Telling
 trees on the lands of Colonel Mallory
 said the officer. as he dismounted and
 mapped a pair of handeuffs on tho
 wrists of Landing. Handcuffs are con-
 sidered by the average United States 4 marshal as a necessary part of every