Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-08
CHAPTER XVII.
Bess Leads to Betty.

dlreCtlOn OF the pain. lie was on MS
way to q plantation below Birard, the
owner Of which had recently import
ed a pack OF bloodhounds; but this
unexpected encounter with Ware had
affected him strangely. lie still heard
party For a moment he hesitated;
II the dogs were to be used with any
hope OF success he had no time to
spare, n this vas the merest sus-
picion, illogical conjecture, based on
nothing beyond his distrust OF Ware
In the end he sprang from the saddle,
n leading his horse into the woods.
tied It to a sapling.
A hurried investigation told him
that five men had ridden in and out OF
that path. or the five, all coming
from the south, four had turned
south again, but the fifth man-Ware,
In other words-had gone north. lie
weighed the possible significance OF
these facts.
II am only wasting time!" he con-
fessed reluctantly, and was on the
point OF turning away, when. on the
very edge OF the road and just where
the dust yielded to the hard clay OF
the path, his glance lighted on the
print OF a small and daintily shod
foot. The t%hrobbing Of his heart
q~uickened %curiously.
Betty" The word leaped from his
lips.
That small foot had left but the
n impress. There were other signs.
| hnyInunr that nlni,nnl hic nftnnftnn
namely, the boot. prints OF Slosson
and his men; and he made the in
evitable discovery that these tracks
were all confined to the one spot.
They began suddenly n as sudden
~ ceased, yet there was no mystery
about these; he had the marks OF the
wheels to help him to a sure conclu-
sion. A carriage had turned Just
here, several men had %alighted; they
had with them a child. or a
Either they had %re.entered the car
riage and driven back as they had
come, or they had gone toward the
river. He felt the soul within him
turn sick.
lie stole along the path; the terror
Of the river was ever in his thoughts,
and the specter OF his fear seemed to
fit before him and lure him on. Pres
entity he caught his first glimpse OF
the bayou and his legs shook under
him; but the path wound deeper still
into what appeared to be an UNI
touched solitude. wound on between
the crowding tree forms, a little back
from the shore, with an Intervening
tangle Of vines and bushes, lie
scanned this closely as he hurried
forward, scarcely conscious that he
was searching for some trampled
space at the waters edge; but the
verdant wall preserved its unbroken
continuity, and twenty minutes later
he came within sight OF Hicks clear.
ing and the keel boat, where 1t rested
against the bank.
A little farther on he found the
spot where Slosson had launched the
skiff the night before. The keel OF his
boat had cut deep into the slippery
clay; more than this, the impress OF
the small shoe was repeated here, and
just beside 1t was the print OF a child
bare foot.
lie no longer doubted that Betty
and Hannibal had been taken across
the bayou to the cabin, and he ran
back up the path the distance OF a
mile and plunged into the woods on
his right, his purpose being to pass
around the sluggish water.
Here he paused and took stock Of
his surroundings. The W or three
buildings Mr.. Hicks had erected stood
midway OF the clearing and were very
modest improvements adapted to theE
owners somewhat tiippant pursuit Of
agriculture. While Darlington was
still staring about him, the cabin dool
swung open and a woman stepped
forth. II was the girl Bess. b wen
to a corner OF the building and calico
loudly:
Joe. Oh. Joel"
Darlington glanced In the direction
' of the keel boat and an instant late
I saw Siosson Chamber over It's side
= The tavern.kecper crossed to the cab
in, where he was met by Bess. whit
I placed in his hands what seemed Il
be a wooden bowl. With this hi
, siouched off to one OF the outbuild
I ings, which he entered. Ten or III
r teen minutes slipped by. then he CAM
1 from the shed and after securing tn
door. returned to the cabin. lie wa
4 again met by Bess. who relieved hin
d OF the bowl; they exchanged n fey
Q words and Slosson walked away an,
X afterward disappeared over the sid
OF the keel boat.
y This much was clear to the ker
/, tucliap. food had heen taken to som