The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-06-29
CHAPTER v.
The One Way.
CHAPTER ~.


u Keith said nothing for some mo-
nents, staring up at the light stealing
IN through the window grating, his
mind once again active. The eyes OF
Lie black man had the patient look
~ dog as they watched; evidently
he had cast aside all responsibility,
low that this other had come. Final
~ Keith spoke slowly:
81 I'VE are in much the same position,
Keb, and the fate OF one Is liable to
Ne the fate of both. This is my story"
and briefly as possible, he ran over
he circumstances which had brought
lin there, putting the situation clear
enough for the negro's understand
|ng, without wasting any time upon
etail Neb followed his recital with
8uIglng eyes, and an occasional excla-
nation At the end he burst forth:
a "Yo' say dar was two OBJ dem white
nen murdered-one an oil man wild
Eray beard, an de odder bout thirty?
Am dat 1t, Massa Jack, an dey had TO
&pan oh mules, an a runnin' hoss?"
YES"
AN how far out was it,"
n About sixty miles,
# "Oh, de good Lawdi" and the negro
brew up his hands dramatically. Dat
ptt'nly am my outfit, Dat am Massa
Eaite an John Sibley"
Al You mean the same men with
5 Fhom you came here from Indepen-
ence?"
Neb nodded, overcome by the dis
oyery.
S But what caused them to run such
50 risk" Keith insisted Didn't they
now the Indians were on the war
36ath?"
"Sho'; | heard 'em talkin bout dat,
put Massa Waite was Jest boun' fob
% git movin'. He didn't pear to be
raid OBJ no Injuns; reck'ned dey'd
ebber stop him, dat he knowed eb-
Fry chief on de plains. reck'n dat
% did, too"
But what was he SO anxious to get
way for?"
4 dunno, Massa. done heerd 'em
alk some bout dey plans, an bout
PINE gal dey wanted ter I'm, but
41dn't git no right sense to It. De
5in'ral, he was a might still man"
The General? Whom do you meant
Not Waiter"
John Sibley done called him dat"
Then Keith remembered-just a
im. misty thread at first. changing
'o"iy INTO clear recollection. He
as riding with dispatches from Long
tfeet to Stonewall jackson, and had
'eh shot through the side. The
81 OF Jackson's troops he reached
& ~ brigade OF North Carolinians.
'mmsnded by General Waite-Gen-
81 Willis Waite. He had fallen from
Z morse at the outposts, was brought
'piess to the Generals tent, and an
sner sent on with the papers. And
's Waite had dressed and bandaged
wound. That was where he had
en- that woman's face before, with
haunting familiarity. He drew the
'cAet from beneath his shirt, and
ezed at the countenance revealed,
''n new Intelligence There could be
aouDt-it was the face of her who
cared for him SO tenderly In that
n' at Manassas before the fever
lne and he had lost consciousness.
"a mat, then. was Willis Waite ly-
III that shallow grave near the
aron Crossing. and for whose
aeh ne had been arrested. Twas a
aage world, and small one. What
miserable ending to life like his
usislon commander of the Army OF
'herh virginia, Lieutenant-Gov-
nor OF his state. What strange
'noination of circumstances could
= nave brought such q man to this
ee' and sent him forth across those
s,ah-sccuted plains? Surely nothing
'nary And why should those Dor
desperadoes have followed,
.ough sixty miles OF desolation. to
NE him down? 1t was not robbery.
.ess' IN the ordinary sense, What
And how was BLACK Bart" in
.euF Why should he be sufficient
Interested to swear out a warrant,
'nen assist in his arrest? There
:. De something to all this not APP
ene upon the surface-some object,
~ purpose shrouded in mystery.
mere quarrel. no ordinary feud. no
.u,nt OF meeting. no theory Of com
"p'ace robbery. would account for
'eed' or for the desperate efforts
being made to conceal it.
oolne way. these questions, thus
s'na pnen him. became call 10
20 hight, TO unravel their mystery.
Memery OF that sweet-faced won
Nno had bent above him when the
began It's mastery. appealed to
"u~ with the opportunity OF serv-
ne might be able TO clear this.
70 Der The truth. save her from
AR aud hand over to Justice the
~ srfers Of her husband II was up
Hs44 &tEun "a ret...~.4s ssgnk tkfn.ann