The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-01-05
CHAPTER XXI.

| The night came on, fair and still, clear
and starlit; but there was no moon and
| outside the immediate neighborhood OF the
| main streets, the darkness was enough
| to favor our hope of escaping notice with
| out being SO intense as to embarrass our
| footsteps Everything in fact, seemed to
| be on our side, and l was full OF buoy
ant condolences as | put my revolver In
my pocket and, on the stroke of midnight
! stole from my lodgings. ! looked up to-
ward the bank ard dimly deserted three
or four motionless figures, whom l TOOK
to be sentries guarding the treasure. Inc
street itself was almost deserted, but from
where | stood | could see the Piazza
crowded with throng of people, whose
shouts and songs told me that the Colo
nel's hospitality was being fully appre
GATED There was dancing going on TO |
the strains of the military band. and ev-
ery sign 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
looked TO her fires, and left her moored by
one rope ready to be launched into the
, aim black sea in an instant. linen
: strolled along, by the harbor side. Here
met a couple of sentries. Innocent!
entered into conversation with them
condoling on their hard fate in being KEPT
on duty while pleasure was at the helm
In the Piazza. Gently deprecating such
excess of caution, pointed out to them
the stationary lights of The Songstress'
. four or five miles out to sea, and with
resnectful smile at the ColonePs uneasl-
ness left the seed had sown to grow IN
red soil. l dared do no more, ana
had to trust for the rest to their naturai
inclination to the neglect OF duty.
. Whom 7 got back to the bottom OF Lib
: or+v street I ensconced myself in the
: shelter of little group of trees which
e stood at one side of the roadway. just
/. across tbe road, which ran at right an
=. nIas r. tba street. the wood began, and
onarter of an hours walk through its
shades would bring US to the Jetty wnere
r ~ hoot Law NV trees made perfect
y oroan and here / stood awaiting events.
lie ~ some fine nothing was audible but
to an ever-increasing tumult OF JoVlanty
II fro,, the Piazza. But after about twenty
ID minutes I awoke to the fact that con
= stant dribble of men, singly or in pairs
:, had begun to flow past me from the II
aZZa, down Liberty slioe't ~
behind me, and into the WOOD. oonie weie
ia In uniform, others dressed IN coniiioi
cIo+bas one or two | recognized as mem
hers of Johnny Carr's missing oahd. nh'
strong contrast between the preVaiiin'
reyelry and the stealthy, cautious ar
II these passers-by would alone nave sus
gested that they were bent on business
81 putting two and two together l haa no
\ | the least doubt that they we're the fresl
" dcnt's adherents making their way DOW
to the waters edge to receive their cniei
NJ So he was coming the letter had don
y Its work Some fifty or more must nav
come and gone before the stream ceaseo
FL and I reflected, with great satlsfactloI
that the Colonel was likely to have nj
) hands very full in the next hour or TWO.
Half an hour or so passed uneyenttu
w: the bonfire still blazed; the songs an
dancing were still In full swing. 1t wa
close upon the fateful hour of two whei
M looking from my hiding place, l saw
IN slight figure in black coming quickly an
.Ss:1 fearfully along the road.
"a recognized the Signorina at once,
~ should recognize her any day among
~ thousand, and as she paused nearly opp
81 site where l was, | gently called HI
~ name and showed myself for momen
She ran to me at once.
all us it all right?" she asked, breat
len lessly. :,
Ity. ave shall see in a moment" said
the ''The attack is coming off; 1t will beg
left directly"
bIc Rut the attack was not the next THU
-, we saw. We had both retreated again
the friendly shadow whence we could s
~ without being seen. Hardly had We s.
tue tied ourselves than the Signorina VIII
Gus pered to me, pointing across the road
'ey the wood:
of whats that. Jack?"
,rey I followed the line Of her finger a
made out a row of figures standing n
tionless and still on the very edge of
wood. 1t was too dark to distinguish
an diyiduals; but even as we looked the
- lent air waited to our eager ears 10
voiced command:
.ho mind, not a sound till l give
,r,y word"
80 "The Presidents" exclaimed the
49, norma, in loud whisper.
own FLUSH, or he'll hear" said I, "a
'ons' we're done"
aims CLEARLY nothing would happen from Il
Its quarter till 1t was called forth by eve
1t in the opposite direction. The Signor
the was strongly agitated; she chung to
l. all. closely, and | saw with alarm that
+ho, very proximity of the man she stood
-, such awe of was too much for her cc
sun posture. When had soothed, and l +
the half-frightened, her into stiffness, ag
aick- turned my eyes toward the Piazza.
cans fire had at last fiickered out and the re'
seemed on the wane. Suddenly body
men appeared in close order, march
down the street toward the bank.
,oun. stood perhaps hundred yards from
tho building which was, in its turn, about
- hundred from the Piazza. Steadily
NY came along; no sound reached US
the wood.
great This is getting interesting" / s
lriesr 'oThere'll be trouble soon."
As near as I could see, the Colol
D tip, band, for such it was no doubt, did
erful number more than ive-and-twenty at
, the outside. Now they were at the bank
.S,.ll .oa x.,hot ha nnanad but [