Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-20
They've got him-the Mexicans. He'a
comet"
CHAPTER TX.
The conceaIment.

|
II took great deal more running
back and forth, and questioning and
explaining, before could come at any
understanding OF what had happened.
And even when I had heard as much
as any one knew 1t was strangely lit
tle-simply that body OF = Mexican
horsemen had swept out upon this
guard from apparently all points OF the
compass. had overpowered them, leay-
ing one dead and one of their own
number wounded, and swept on After
they had gone 1t was discovered that
the prisoner had vanished, too, The
cry had been that the horsemen had
taken him: but some Of the guard who
had followed the riders little way
declared that he had not been among
them. and one man insisted that he
had seen Johnny Montgomery dart In
at the door OF one OF the small house
on Jackson street. This was immetli-
ately surrounded by police and
scearched, but nothing was discovered,
and all the while sat faint and tremb-
ling in the carriage, with conviction
that ought to be horrified, and yet
with an ungovernable feeling Of relief.
The only thoughts in my mind were,
"de is safe!" and HE is free!" II
only for moment, at least It would
be moment!
Half an hour passed before the
street could be cleared, and we could
ret across. Meanwhile. In the fast
gathering dark, / kept hearing voices
speaking with that stern ring they
they have when men are excited and
talking among themselves, and hoofs
OF horses Gathering OF In the direction
the Mexicans had taken.
Every moment my heart was In my
mouth, lest suddenly should come the
cry that Johnny Montgomery was
found; but he seemed to have vanished
as completely as II he had been made
invisible; and presently O. hateful
thought crept into my mind: What IL
| It is the Spanish. women who has
played the enchantress?" The rumorS
was abroad that the sortie had been
planned by some OF Johnny Montgom-
|ery's friends they were such wild
fellows that their doing the thing
would not seem extraordinary.
Yet the other explanation seemed 50
much more probable to me. so burning
I ly evident. It came upon me with the
shock Of conviction, as II the Spanish
woman herself had whispered It In my
ear, and was afraid to look at any
one lest he should read my thought In
my conscious face. kept my head bent
and held my trembling lips tight, glad
that the dark covered my agitatfons
But later, at home, sitting on the
edge Of my bed, told mother all about
1t. did not form the words aloud, but
when sat there looking up at her pic
tured face knew she understood every
idea that went through my mind. My
thoughts went back over the incidents,
of the trial. Every little separate men,
DRY struck the same note the attempt
to get him out Of prison, the attempt
to make way with the witnesses, and
finally this successful snatching Of him
from the law--it was the Spanish WON
an who had been responsible each time
and now it was she. Oh, nderstood
now why Johnny Montgomery had
smiled at me as was giving my testi-
mony! had thought It had been to en-
courage me to go on, but 1t must have
been mere mockery, since he knew
that, no matter what story told, he
was safe.
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