The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-23

spare, and this was the merest sus4
picion, illogical conjecture. based on
nothing beyond his dtstrust OF Ware.
In the end he sprang from the saddle,
and leading his horse into the woods,
tied 1t to sapling.
A hurried investigation told him
that five men had ridden in and out Of
that path OF the five, all coming
from the south, four had turned
south again, but the fifth man-Ware,
In other words-had gone north. he
weighed the possible significance OF
these facts.
Il 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 small and daintily shod
foot. The throbbing of his heart
quickened curiously.
Betty" The word leaped from his
lips.
That small foot had left but the
one impress. There were other signs,
however, that claimed his attention;
namely, the footprints 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 and as sudden
ly ceased, yet there was no mystery
about these; he had the marks OF the
wheels to help him to sure conclu..
sion. A carriage had turned just
here, several men had alighted; they
had with them child, or a woman.
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.
He 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
emily 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 I'M
touched solitude, wound on between
the crowding tree forms, little back
from the shore, with an Intervening.
tangle of vines and bushes. He
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 it's unbroken
continuity, and twenty minutes later
he came within sight of Hicks clear
ing and the keel boat, where it rested
against the bank.
A little farther on he found the
spot where Slosson had launched the
skitf 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 it was the print OF child's
bare foot.
He no longer doubted that Betty
and Hannibal had been taken across
tho bayou to the cabin, and he ran
back up the path the distance OF q
mtle and plunged into the woods on
his right. his purpose being to pass
around the head of the expanse OF
sluggish water to point from which
he could later approach the cabin.
But the cabin proved to be better
defended than he had foreseen; and
as he advanced, the difficulties Of the
task he had set himself became al
most insurmountable; yet sustained
as he was by his imperative need, he
tore his way through the labyrinth OF
trailing vines, or floundered across
acrewide patches OF green slime and
black mud, which at each step threat
ened to engulf him in their treacher-
GUS depths, until at the end OF an
hour he gained the southern side OF
the clearing and q tirmer footing
within the shelter OF the woods.
Here he paused and took stock OF
his surroundings. The two or three
buildings Mr.. Hicks had erected stood
midway OF tho clearing and were very
modest improvements adapted to their
owners somewhat dippant pursuit of
agriculture. While Darlington was
still staring about him, the cabin door
swung open and a woman stepped
forth. It was the girl Bess. She went
to a corner of the building and called
loudly:
Joe! Oh, joel"
Darlington glanced in the direction
Of the keel boat and an instant later
saw, Slosson Chamber over its side.
The oavern-keeper crossed to the cab
in. where he was met by Bess, who
placed in his hands what seemed to
be q wooden bowl. With this he
slouched OF to one of the outbuild-
ings, which he entered. Ten or tf-
teen minutes slipped by, then he came
from the shed and after securing the
door, returned to the cabin. He was
again met by Bess, who relieved him
Of the bowl: they exchanged a few
words and Slossoa walked away and
afterward disappeared over the side
of the keel boat.
81 h1