Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1911-12-07

'7HeI5mouslNove/bv
VAUGHAN kESTER )
W A>G..~.;ht ,o,, The Dobbs- Merrill Company 4
Bobbs-Merrill Company
Copyright. 1871.
CHAPTER XXvI Continued.

CHAPTER XVI Continued.
"Hush--Oh, hush, Hannibal! 1t Is
too awful to even speak Of" and, Sob
bling and half hysterical, she covered
her face with her hands.
But where are we going, Miss
Betty?" asked the boy. Il
81 don't know, dear!' she had an
agonizing sense of the nights ap.
proach and of her own utter helpless
ness. -...
"I'll tell you what. Miss Betty, let's
go to the Judge and Mr.. Mahaffy!'
said Hannibal -a.- 4,
Judge Price?" She had not thought
of him as possible protector.
why, Miss Betty, ain't | told you he
amt afraid of nothing? We could walk
to Raleigh easy if you don't want your
niggers to hook up team for you
Betty suddenly remembered the car.
riage which had taken the judge into
town: she was sure it had not yet re.
turned.
1--WE will go to the Judge, Hannibal!
George, who drove him into Raleigh,
has not come back if we hurry we
may meet him on the road"
Screened by the thick shadows. they
passed up the path that edged the
bayou: at the head of the inlet they
entered a clearing, and crossing this
they came to the cornrfield which Nay
between the house and the highroad.
Following one Of the: shock rows they
hurried to the mouth of the lane. s2 Z
Hannibal, / don't want to tell the
.,,l 4N II.
about the woman. mean" said Betty.
"You reckon they'd kill her, don't
you. Miss Betty, il they knew what
she'd done?" speculated the boy. It oc,
Cured to him. that 4 an e adeuuate ex.
planation of their flight would require
preparation. since the Judge was at all
times singularly alive to the slightest
discrepancy of statement. They had is-
sued from the cornfield now and were
going along the road toward Raleigh.
Suddenly Betty paused.
"Hark!" she whispered
1"It were nothing. Miss Betty" said
Hannibal reassuringly, and they hur-
ried forward again. In the utter still
ness through which they moved Betty
heard the beating of her own heart,
and the soft, and all but inaudible pat
ter of the boys bare feet on the warm
dust of the road Vague forms that re-
solved themselves into trees and
bushes seemed to creep toward them
out of the nights black uncertainty.
Once more Betty paused.
at were nothing. Miss Betty" said
Hannibal as before. and he returned
to his consideration Of the Judge. He
sensed something of that intellectual
mimi leness which his patrons physi-
cal makeup in nowise suggested. since
his face was mask that usually left
one in doubt as to just how much of
what he heard succeeded in making it's
Impression on him; but the boy knew
that Slocum Prices blind side was a
shelterless exposure.
"You don't think the carriage could
have passed us while we were crossing
the corn field?" said Betty.
"No, I reckon we couldn't a-a1issed
hearing it." answered Hannibal. He
had scarcely spoken when they caught
the rattle of wheels and the beat of
hoofs. These sounds swept nearer
and nearer. and then the darkness dis
gorged the Belle Plain team and car
riage. ~
"George!" cried Betty. world of re-
lief in her tones.
"Woah. you" and George reined in
his horses with jerk Who's dar?'
he asked. bending forward on the box
as he sought to pierce. the darkness
with his glance.
George" V.
"Oh. it you, Missy
Eyes. wish you to drive me into
Raleigh sail Betty. and she and Han
nibal entered the carriage
"All right. Missy. Yo'-alI ready fo'
me to go along out o'here?"
"Yes-drive fast. George!" urged
Betty.
Its right dark fo' fas' drivin Missy
with the road jes' amin fo to bus yo'
springs with chuckholes!" He had
turned his horses heads in the direc-
tion of Raleigh while he was speaking
Its scandalous black in these heah
woods. Missy clar' I never seen it
no blacker!'
The carriage swung forward for per.
haps hundred yards. then suddenly
the horses came to dead stop.
go along on. dar." cried George.
and struck them with his whip, but the
horses only reared and plunged
Hold on, nigger!" said rough