The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-08-10

neKTO&0.
bal. visits Betty. and she keeps the boy
a. a companion In q stroll Betty takes
with Hannibal they meet Bess Hicks.
dsaEhts. Of the snd sen, wn0 hsr to
leave Belle Plain at once Betty. terr-
Ned. acts on Bess' advice. and on their
way their carriage It stopped 5y Sloss sni
Betty and Hannibal are made prisoners.
CHAPTER XIX (contInued).
AS they stumbled forward through
the thick obscurity he continued his
personal revelations. the present en-
,terprise having reused whatever there
was of sentiment slumberfng In his
soul. At last they came out on
wide bayou; white mist hung above
1T, and on the low shore leaf and
branch were dripping with the night
-dews. Keeping close to the waters
edge Slosson led the way to a point
where q skin was drawn up on the
bank.
step in, ma'am." he said. when he
had launched 1t.
II will go no farther" said Betty
in desperation. She felt an over
mastering fear, the full horror OF the
unknown lay hold of her. and she gave
a piercing cry for help. Slosson swung
about on his heel and seized her. For
a moment she struggled to escape,
but the mans big hand pinioned her.
mo more of that" he warned. then
he recovered himself and laughed.
"You could yell till you was black In
the face, ma'am. and there'd be no
one to hear you"
where are you taking me!' and
Betty's voice faitered between the
sudden sobs that choked her.
Just across to George Hicks's."
t'For what purpose?"
you'll know In plenty OF time
And Slosson leered at her through the
darkness.
"Hannibal is to 60 with met" asked
Betty TREMENDOUSLY.
"Sure!" agreed Slosson afrably
"Your niger. too--quite party"
Betty stepped into the skin. She
felt her hopes Quicken-she was think
ing OF Bess: whatever the girls mo
-tives, she had wished her to escape
She would wish 1t now more thar
ever since the very thing she had
sstriven to prevent had happened
Slosson seated himself and took VI
the oars, Bunker followed with Han
,nibal and they pushed on. No wore
was spoken until they disembarked OF
the opposite shore. when Slosson ad
dressed Bunker.
ma ~ N
rip-staver; you go back after Sherrot
and the niger" he said.
He conducted his captives up thu
bank and they entered a clearing
Looking across this Betty saw WHERE
"a cabin window framed single
square of light. They advanced to
ward this and presently the dark out
line OF the cabinet itself became dis
.tinguishable. A moment later Slos
son paused, door yielded to hi
hand. and Betty and the boy wer,
thrust into the room where Murrel
had held his conference with Fentres
and Ware. The two women were nov
its only occupants. and the mother
gross and shapeiess. turned an e.
pressionless face on the intruders
but the daughter shrank into tn
shadow. her burning glance fixed OF
Betty.
Here's yo' guests. old LADY," sal
Mr.. Slosson. Mrs. Hicks rose iron
the three-legged stool on which sh
was sitting.
"Hand me the candle. Bess." sn
ordered.
At one side.of the room was stee
flight OF stairs which gave access Z
the loft overhead. Mrs. Hicks, by
gesture. signified that Betty and Har
.nibal were ito ascend these stairs
they did so and found themselves o
a narrow landing inclosed by pal
stition at rough splanks: this partitio