Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-11-29
CHAPTER \NIl.

and starlit: but there was no moon ana
outside the immediate neighhorhood OF tn
main streets, the darkness was enouSs
TO favor our hope of escaping notice W.th
out being so intense as to embarrass our
footsteps. Everything, in fact, seemed to
be on our side. and / was full OF buoy
art condolences as l PM my revolver in
my pocket and. on the stroke of midnight.
stole from my lodgings. looked up 10
ward the bank and dimly deserted three
or four motionless figures. whom took
to he sentres guarding the treasure. Inc
street itself was almost deserted, put from
where | stood | could see the flazza
crowded with a throng Of people, whose
shouts and songs told me that the oolo-
nei's hospitality was being fully appre-
ciated. There was dancing going on 10
the strains of the military band. ana eV-
erv sivn showed that our good citizens IN
tended, in familiar phrase, to make
night Of it.
walked swiftly and silently down to
the ietty. Yes. the boat was all right
locked to her fires, and left her moored .!
one rope ready to be launched INTO 'ht
calm black sea in an Instant lhen
8 rolled along by the harh0r side. Here
| met couple of Sentries. lnhoceh'.H
| entered into conversation with 'hehl'
condoling on their hard fate in BENG hep'
ON duty while pleasure was at the heIl'
in the Piazza. Gently daprecatlng such
excess Of caution. pointed out to them
the stationary lights of The SongstreSs,
fo,r or five miles out to sea, and with
resnectful smile at the Colonefs uneasi-
7 h.,1
nrenared soil | dared do no more, ana
had to trust for the rest to their natural
inclination to the neglect of duty
When | got back to the bottom OF Lio-
erty street, | ensconcd myself IN the
shelter of a little group of trees wnich
stood at one side of the roadway. JUS
across the road which ran at right an
eas TO the street. the wood began, ana
onarter of an hours walk through us
shades would bring us to the Jetty Where
the boat lay Ny trees made perlecl
screen. and here | stood awaiting events
For some time nothing was audible out
an ever-increasing tumult OF loVlall's
from the Piazza. But after about twenty
n,inures | awoke to the fact that con
stant dribblp Of men, slngly or IN pairs
hal begun 70 flow past ME from the / /
azza. down Liberty street across the roau
behind me. and into the wood. Some were
in uoiform. others dressed in common
clo-bas. one or two recognized as mem
hers Of Johnny Carr'S missing band. The
strong contrast between the prevailing
ravelrv and the stealthy, cautions air OF
tbes, passers-by would alone have sug-
gpsted that they were bent on business
hor |
tbe least doubt that they were the Presl-
dents adherenrS making their way down
10 the waters edge to receive Their chief.
50 he was coming: the letter had done
is work Some fifty or more must nave
come and gone before the stream ceased,
anl reflected. with great satisfaction
that the Colonel was likely to have his
hand, very full in the next hour or two.
Half en- hour or 50 passed uneyenttul-
". tha bonfire still blazad the songs and
dancing were still in full swing. 1t was
close upon the fateful hour of two, when,
looking from my hiding place. | saw
slight figure in black coming quickly and
fearfully along the road.
7 recognized the Sienorina at once as
I should recognize her any day among a
thousand. and as she paused nearly oppo-
site where was, gently called her
name and showed myself for a moment.
She ran to me al once.
rs it all right:' she asked, breath
lessy.
we shall see in moment said l.
The attack is coming off; it will begin
directly"
But the attack was not the next thing
we saw. We had both retreated again to
the friendly shadow whence we could see
without being seen. Hardly had We set
tied ourselves than the Signorina whis-
pered to me, pointing across the road to
the wood:
What's that. jack"
followed the line of her finger and
made out a row Of figures standing mo-
tionless and still on the very edge of the
wood. II was too dark TO distinguish in
dividuals; but even as we looked the 81
Int air waited TO our eager ears a low
voiced command
Mind, not a sound till l give the
word"
The President" exclaimed the Sig
norma. in a loud whisper.
Hush. or he'll hear said |, "and
were done"
Clearly nothing would happen from that
quarter till it was called forth by events
in the opposite direction. The SignOrina
was strongly agitated she clung to me
closely. and | saw with alarm that the
vary proximity OF the man she stood in
such awe OF was TOO much for her com
,stsure. When | had sOothed. and | fear
Lslf-frigh tenad. her into stiffness. | again
turned my eyes toward the Piazza. The
fra had at last fiirkered out and the revels
seemed on the wane. suddenly a body of
men appeared in close order. marching
down the street toward the bank. We
stood perhaps hundred yards from that
building. which was. in its turn. about two
hundred from the Piazza. Steadily they
came along: no sound reached US from
the wood.
This is getting Interesting" | said.
'Tbe-e'n be trouble soon"
As near a. | could see. the Coloners
band. for such it was no doubt. did not
number more than ive-and-twenty at the
outside. Now they were at the bank.
could hardly see what happened. but there
seemed 10 be a moments pause probably
someone had knocked and they we're wait
in-. 4 second later a loud shout rang
through the street and saw q group Il
fzures crowd.ug round the door AMI push
Ing A way into my poor bank. Then !