Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-31

be sure! The door OF the UdT sloou
open; the lamps were still burning,
and the upturned chairs and 9 broken
table told OF the struggle that had
taken place there. The boy rested his
hand on the top step as he stared fear
fully into the room. His palm came
away with a great crimson
splotch. But he was not salts
fled yet. He must be sure
sure! He passed around the build
ing as the men had done and crossed
the truck patch to the mouth OF the
lane. Here he slid through the fence
into the corn-field, and. we'll sheltered,
worked his way down the rows. Pres
emily he heard distant sound--a
splash--surely it was splash
A little later the men came up the
lane. to disappear in the direction OF
the tavern Hannibal peered after
them. His very terrors, while they
wrenched and tortured him. gave him
Q desperate kind of courage. AS the
gloom hid the two men, he started
forward again: he must know the
meaning of that sound-that splash, II
it was splash He reached the end
of the corn-field, climbed the fence,
and entered deadening OF slashed
and mutilated timber In the long wet
grass he found where the men had
dragged their burden. He reached
down and swept his hand to and FRO
third time his little
palm came away red and discolored.
There was the first pale Fremont
tion of dawn in the sky, and as he hur-
ried on the light grew, and the DlacK
trunks Of trees detached themselves
from the white mist that filled the
woods and which the dawn made v1sl-
BILE. There was light enough for him to
see that he was following the trail left
by the men; he could distinguish
where the dew had been brushed from
the long grass. Advancing still further,
he heard the clear splash OF running
water, an audible ripple that mounted
into silver cadence. Day was break
ing now The lifeless gray along the
eastern horizon had changed to
orange. Still following the trail, he
emerged upon the bank OF the Elk
river white like the woods with its
ghostly night sweat
The dull beat of the child's heart
quickened as he gazed out on the
swift current that was hurrying on
with It's dreadful secret. Then the full
comprehension of his loss seemed to
overwhelm him and he was utterly
desolate. Sobs shook him, and he
dropped on his knees, holding fast TO
the stock Of his rifle.
"Uncle Bob Uncle Bob. come back!
CAM, you cone back" he vailed mis-
erably Presently he staggered to his
feet. Convulsive sobs still wrenched
his little body What was he. to do?
Those men-his Uncle Bob's murder
ers-w would go to his room; they would
find his empty bed and their search
for him would BEGIN, Nor for anything
would he have gone back through the
corn-field or the lane to the road. He
had the courage to go forward, but
not to retrace his steps: and the river,
deep and swift, barred his path. AS he
glanced about, he saw almost at his
feet a dug-out, made from single
poplar log. It was secured to an over
hanging branch by length OF grape
vine. with one last fearful look off
across the deadening in the direction
OF the tavern. he, crept down to the
waters edge and entered the canoe.
In q moment, he had 1t free from us
flashing and the rude craft was bump
ing along the bank in spite Of his best
efforts with the paddle. Then FAVOR
jig current caught it and swept 1T out
toward the center Of the stream.
ii was much too big and clumsy for
him to control without the stream s
help. though he labored doggedly with
Ills paddle. Now he was broadside to
the current. now he was being spun
rornd and round. but always he was
carried farther and farther from the
SPOT where he had embarked. He
PASSED about a bend; and hundred
yards beyond, about a second bend;
then the stream opened up straight
before him half-mile Of smooth rum
ming water. Far down 1t at the point
where the trees met in the unbroken
line Of the forest and the water
seemed, to vanish mysteriously, he
could distinguish black moving OBJ
iect: some ark or raft. doubtless.
In the smoother water of the long
reach. Hannibal began to make head
against the flood. The farther shore
became the nearer. and finally he
drove the bow OF his canoe UP on a
bit of shelving bank, and selling his
pacl, and rifle sprang ashore. Painting
and exhausted, he paused just long
enough to push the canoe out into
the stream again, and then. with his
rifle and pack in his hands, turned
his small tear-stained face towerd the
wooded slope beyond. AS he toiled up
it in the wide silence Of the dawn, a
mournful wind burst out Of the north,
filling the air about him with with
cred leaves and the dead branches of
trees.
Betty stood under a dripping UNI
brella in the midst Of a drenching
downpour. her boxes and trunks form
ing neat pyramid of respectable size
beside her. She was somewhat per-
turbed in spirit, since they contained
much elaborate finery all in the very
latest eastern fashion, spoils that were
the fruit of heated correspondence
with Tom, who hadn't seemed at all
alive to the fact that Betty was nearly
eighteen and in her own right young
woman Of property. A tarpaulin had
been thrown over the heap, and with
one eye on 1t and the other on the
stretch of yellow canal up which they
We're bringing the fast packet Pioneer,