Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-09-20
CHAPT EE V.-(Continued.)

VI dunno. Massa, l done heerd 'em
talk some bout dey plans. an bout
some gal dey wanted ter fin. but
didn't git NO right sense to It, De
Gin'ral, he was a might still man"
The General? Whom do you mean?
Not Waite?'
John Sibiey done called him dat"
Then Keith remembered-just
dim. misty thread at first. changing
slowly into a clear recollection. He
was riding with dispatches from Long
street TO Stonewall Jackson. and had
been shot through the side The
first of JacSson's troops he reached
was brigade OF North Carolinians.
commanded by General Waite-Gen-
eral Willis Waite. He had fallen from
his horse al the outposts. was brought
helpless to tho Generals tent. and an
other sent OF with the papers And
Mrs Waite hid dressed and bandaged
his wound. That was where he had
seen that woman's face before, with
Its haunting familiarity. He drew the
rocket from beneath his shirt, and
gazed at the countenance revealed.
with new intelligence. There could be
mo Doubt was the face Of her who
mad cared fer him so tenderly in that
tent at Manassas before the fever
came and he had lost consciousness.
And that, then. was Willis Waite Iy-
Ing In that shallow grave near the
Cimmaron Crossing. and for whose
death he had been arrested Twas a
strange world. and a small one. What
miserable ending to a life like his
a division commander OF the Army OF
Northern Virginia. a Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor of his state. What strange
combination OF circumstances could
ever have brought such a man to this
place, and sent him forth across those
Indian-scouted plains? Surely nothing
ordinary. And why should those Dor
der desperadoes have followed
Through sixty miles of desolation. to
strike him down? II was not robbery.
at least in the ordinary sense. What
men? And how was BLACK Bart" in
VOWED? Why should he be sufficient
hy interested to swear out a warrant
end then assist I'm his arrest? There
must be something to all this not ap.
parent upon the surface-some object
some purpose shrouded In mystery.
NO mere quarrel. no ordinary feud. no
accident of meeting. no theory of com.
monplace robbery. would account for
Hhe deed. or for the desperate efforts
now being made to conceal It.
Some way. these questions. thus
surging upon him. became a call to
live, TO fight. to unraveI their mystery
The memory OF that sweet-faced WON.
an who had bent above him when the
fever began its mastery appealed to
MIN now with the opportunity of sery.
Ice. He might be able to clear this
oring TO her the truth. save her from
despair and hand over to justice the
Snurderers OF her husband It was I'M
10 him alone to accomplish thIs-no
one 2lse knew what he knew. susDect.
ed what he suspected. And there was
out one way-through escape. To re-
main there in weak surrender In fate
could have but one ending. and that
swift and sudden. He had no doubt
as 10 Black Bart's" purpose. or OF his
ability to use the Red Light" outfit
as desired. The whole plan was clear.
~ evident, and there would be NO dc.
lay in execution-all they were wait
an 2 Tor was night and lax guard. lie
glanced about at the walls OF the
room. MS eyes grown hard. his teeth
cienched
''Neb,' he said shortly. 81 guess that
was your outfit all right. but they
were not killed by Indians. They
were run down by gang from this
town-the sarye fellows who have mt
you and me In here don't know
what they were after that's IN no
Found out later-but the fight you mt
np al the camp spoiled their game for
once, and led 10 your arrest They
failed 70 get what was wanted in
carson. and so they traiied the marty
70 the Cimmaron CROSSING. Their I
Eot ON their track. and fearing the re.
suit. they've landed me also. Now
they'll get rid Of as both as beat tbev
can. These fellows won't want any
trial-that would be liable TO give the
whole trick away-but they have got
To put us where we won't toIk. There
u an easy way to DO this. and that IS
BY iyncbing bee DO you get nv
drift. Neb7"
The whites Of the negro's eyes were
very much N evidence. his hauSs grip
ping ~ tho bench on which he eat.
70 do Lawd. yes. Massa Jack I
aho' ooee. Corroborates de whole
ahing"
Then yNu are willing to take a
ehshce viii ns?'