Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-07-20
CHAPTER VII.
Moses Iehthyophagus-


those who lose between the touch and
the clutch, Griswold had found the
red-handkerchief bundle precisely
where it had been hidden; namely,
buried safely in the deckload Of sack
ed coffee on the engine-room guard.
1t came to light in the final half
hour Of the voyage, when he and his
mates were transferring the coffee to
the main deck forward. 1t had not
been disturbed; and what had hap
pened was obvious enough, after the
fact. After its hiding, arm's-length
deep, in a Granny between the sacks,
some sudden jar Of the boat had very
slightly shifted the cargo, closing one
Granny and opening another.
With the money once more in his
possession he had a swift return or
the emotions which had thrilled him
when he found himself standing on
the sidewalk in front Of the Bayou
State Security with the block Of bank
notes under his arm.
AS to the battle for the keeping,
which was probably awaiting him at
the st. Louis landing, the prospect OF
coming to blows, man-fashion, with
the enemy, was not wholly unwel-
come.
The few necessary preliminaries
were arranged while the Belle Julie
was backing and filling for the land
ing. Since to be taken with the mon
ey in his possession was to give the
enemy the chance Of winning at one
stroke both the victory and the spoils,
he made a confederate Of the negro,
whose part he had taken in the quar-
rel with McGrath. The man was
grateful and loyal according to his
gifts, and Griswold's need was TOO
pressing to stick at any trifie of unin-
telligence.
Nose, you'll go ashore with me on
the spring line" he said, when he
found his man at the heel Of the land
ing stage.
"Yes, sub, Mars Gravitt; dat's me,
sholy."
"All right. You see this bundle. II
ANYBODY tackles me while we're MAX
ing fast, I'm going to drop 1t, and you
must get it and run away. Do you
understand"
"Whut-all mus I do when rs done
TUX out wild hit?"
Get away, first; then keep out OF
sight and hang around the levee for
an hour or two. If 1 don't turn up
before you get tired, pitch the thing
into the river and go about your busi-
ness. If you open it, it'll conjure you
worse than any Obi-man you ever
heard Of"
mo, sub! 1 amt gwine open hit,
no, subj"
We'll, there is-the worst kind OF
conjure this old world has ever known.
But it won't hurt you if you don't
meddle with it. Keep your wits about
YOU and be ready to grab it and run.
Here we go.
The pilot had found his wharfage
and was edging the Belle Julie up to
il. The bow men paid out slack, and
Griswold and the black, dropping
from the swinging stage, trailed the
end Of the wet hawser up to the near
est mooring ring. Griswold bade the
negro keep watch and knelt to knot
the hawser in the ring. While the
negro sentinel was stammering,
"L-l-lookout, Mars Cap'm!" the trap
was sprung.
In Difference to the upcoming pas
senger from the Belle Julie, the two
man catchers tried to do their job
quietly. But Griswold would not have
it so, and he was up and had twisted
himself free when a blow from
dubbed pistol drove him back to his
knees. Half stunned by the clubbing,
he still made shift to spring afoot
again, to drop his handkerchief bundle
and kick it aside, and to close with his
assailants while the negro was snatch
ing up the treasure and darting away
among the freight pyramids. After
that he had but one thought; to keep
the two plain-clothes men busy until
the negro had made his escape. Even
this proved to be forlorn hope, since
the smaller of the two instantly broke
away to give chase, while the other
stepped back, spun his weapon in air,
and leveled it.
Rage blinded as he was, Griswold
knew that the leveled pistol meant
surrender or death. When his captor
had handcuffed him and was walking
him toward a closed carriage drawn
up before the nearest saloon in the
riyer-fronting street, he ventured t,
ask what he was wanted for.
You'll find that out soon enough"
was the curt reply, and nothing more
was said until the carriage was
reached and the door had been jerked
open. Get in!" commanded the maj
esty of the law, and when the door
was slammed upon the captive, the
plain clothes man turned to the driver,
a little wizened Irishman with a face
like shriveled winter apple. What
time does that New Orleans fast train
pull out?'
Griswold heard the reply: "Siven-
forty-five, sorr" and something in the
thin, piping voice gave him fresh
courage. Through the open window
Of the carriage he saw his captOr
glance at his watch and begin an i'm
patient sentry beat up and down un-
der the electric transparency advertis-
ing the particular brand of whisky
specialized by the saloon. He was evi-
dently waiting for his colleague to
bring in the negro. and time passed.
The spring evening was raw and
chilly, and the open doors Of the sa-
loon volleyed light and warmth and a
beckoning invitation. Griswolds gift,
prostituted to the service OF the
changed point of view, bade him read
in the red face, the loose lip and the
bibulous eyes the temptation that was
gripping the plain clothes man.
Of mo n