Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-11-04

know any more except being sic&, as
told you, and waking up on beard
that yacht, and getting here!"
Now, who could that LIE MaIheu-
reux have been?" asked Larry, and
why did they want to steal you?"
Maybe it was Benoni," suggested
Johnny. He took US to her. maybe he
brought her here"
oh. Benoni!" called Larry, did you
steal this girl?'
Benoni clinched his hands at the
suggestion. II steal herr" he ragged.
And 1 with a wife!"
Nonsense" said Betty. HE does
not talk like LIE Malheureux, and-well
4 don't feel the repulsion for him l
had for LIE Malmeureux. don't know
what it was, can't explain it shiv-
er still"
Perhaps it was Man-Aperilla who
stole you, Betty" volunteered Johnny.
You remember you went out to the
park for the Inquirer with a photo
grapher to get tnS brute's picture.
Have you forgotten? Perhaps ne fell
in love with your charms, and stole
you to make you his bride, like Larry
here is going to do"
He might have stolen me-" admit
ted Betty, but, Johnny, don't be nom
sensical!"
About what?" asked Johnny
About Larry marrying you? A man
doesn't risk his fool neck like Larrys
done for you if he isn't going to marry
the woman at the end of the risk"
well, but you did it," retorted Bet
ty.
Il know, but / had a wife to start
out with, and felt ought to get Larry
tied up, too. Besides, l think It will
be joke to assist at the wedding. oh,
know Larry hasn't asked you yet, but
then he's afraid to- He's planning TO
just carry you off,"
I'm going to draw the line at be-
ing abducted twice, till 1 get a prodi-
gals return on the strength of the
first kidnapping" laughed Betty. do
you suppose that the Man-Aperilla
could have stolen me? And If so, why?
I'd like to find LIE Malheureux, perhaps
he'd tell me. The why of things as
they are is troubling me-"
We're going to find LIE Malheureux
right now" said Meta. "If we don't
We'll never find ourselves again. We
must make haste out of here, Miss
Lancey"
"Oh, call me Bettista, like you have
DONE" begged Betty. mimicking the
name Meta had given her in the days
OF their broken dialect. II like it bet
ter
Anything, only make haste" eau
toned Benoni. we cannot take you
women where we men have gone.
Time is life just now"
Meta aided Betty to don some heavy
wraps of panther skin, brought her
stockings and the dancing slippers, 80
economically used because they were
the only shoes the American girl pos
sessed and her feet were not Injured 10
the hard ground and cold stones like
Metals. Benoni had slowed some pro-
visions in a leather wallet and Meta
carried similar bag heavy and hard.
What have you there. my wife?"
questioned the black.
"A few of the Jewels" she answered,
i thought we might need them No.
there are not many left"
They were an odd cavalcade. Re-
noni was at the head of the process
sion, then Johnny. close behind him.
Betty, with City Editor Burton tug
ging at a leash, then Larry, and last
of all Meta. Each of the men carried
a pistol. and Meta had put a tiny re-
volver into Betty's hand. They went
down the steps, retracing their way
along the same corridors down which
Tyoga had brought Betty so MANY
weeks before. In the lower passage
three pigeons flew out and rested on
Betty's shoulder, lowering there an in
slant, then darting away, up towards
the rain-gray sky.
The boat that awaited them was :
smaller model of the yacht that had
borne Betty across SEAS and of less
elaborate construction. Benoni disap-
peared below deck to a location similar
to the one where LIE Malheureux had
been wont to station himself. Betty,
looking backward through the arch
way, saw to her surprise hundreds z
negroes embarking from a
feet of boats that had suddenly an
peareO upon the sWollen BOSOM or the
river. She started to cry out, but
Metals hands closed over her mouth.
The yacht ducked it's nose to the water
and went spinning along the tunnel.
"Benoni, Benoni." called Meta, when
they had gone a distance of several
rods. "They have come! They are
there! l must help him." she added TO
the Americans, and followed her hus.
band below stairs.