New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-09-29

CnlnSS CndC lau eScdpeu Inc III uy piOu-
ding business life.
We came. l knew not after how
many days forgotten in detail-after
passing, each avoided as pestilence,
many cities prosperous in commerce
alongside the river port Of the city OF
St. Louis. crowded with motley and
misfit shipping of one sort or other.
where our craft might moor without
fear Of exciting any suspicion, in spite
of our ominous name, for l had the
precaution to lower our flag of the
skull and crossbones.
sought out the man most apt to
know Of any considerable vessels dock
ing there and made inquiry for any
power yacht 1875 feet long, white and
black ventilators, white hull with blue
line, flying the burgee Belle Helene or
some such name. None could advise
me for time, and looked In vain, as
I had in every dock in 600 miles, for
the trim hull of my yacht. At last one
old mariner in rubber boots, himself
skipper of a houseboat south bound
for winters trapping, admitted that
be had seen such a craft three days
before.
"Did she dock?" demanded.
"Sure she did, and lay overnight.
remember it we'll enough, for saw her
tie up. And that evening her owner
went ashore and uptown, and with
him his bride, observation-disclosures
II ~ oil %Ho hoy
been married. for he was looking like
he owned her. That was, lemme see,
two days ago or maybe four. They
came aboard her next morning, all
three-there was old party along;
girls mother likely-around II o'clock
and in a little while cast off and went
on down river. AS fine a boat as ever
made the river run-still as mouse
she was, but quick as cat and around
Ste Genev1eve, reckon, before 1 got
back to my own scow after helping
them off here. No wonder her owner
was proud. He stood on the quarter
deck like a lord. Why shouldn't he.
owning boat and girl like that?"
"He doesn't own eitherw retorted
holly.
"Why, how do you know he don't?"
demanded my seagoing man.
"Who should know If not myself?'
"Sho! You talk like you owned hery'
II do own her!"
1T looks like it. Which do you mean
her the yacht or her the girl?"
"BOth-nO! That is. we'll at least I
own the boat"
>"That may all be or it all mayn't,"
he replied, openly scoffing; "at least SO
fairs the boat goes. Anybody kin buy
anything that has the price. But, as
to the girl, you'd have to prove it If
was him. And If he didn't look like
he owned her or was going to I'll eat
your own gas tank there and them two
kids in it fer good measure"
"Ah. ha, Cal Davidson" said to my
self through my set teeth. Little do
you think that you are discovered in
your sins, and little do you know that
the avenger is on your track. But have
care, for Black Bart and his band
pursue your
Cal Davidson took on five drums of
petrol at Cairo and like amount of
champagne at Memphis and no man
may tell what other supplies at this or
that point along the river He evil
IDENTIFY suspected no pursuit or if he
did was staggering varlet enough.
for, according to all accounts which
we could get, he loitered and fingered
along altogether at his leisure, with
due attention to social matters at every
port, for if he had not wife at every
port ut least he had an acquaintance
Of business or social sort, so that one
might be sure there were few dull mo.
ments for him and his party, whether
afloat or ashore
But we held to the chase as true pi-
rates, not lettering at any port and.
since now also had learned some
thing Of the intricacies Of our engine
and could take trick while the others
slept, running twice the hours daily
the naughty yacht would deign to log.
l knew that Cal Davidson would stop
to shoot and to visit and knew that
he could by no human means be in
duced to pass any telegraph point
where the daily standing of the base
ball clubs could be learned He count
ed that day lost In which he did not
learn the scores.
We were hot on the trail of the enc
my as he few south along the Chicka-
sha bluffs. hot as he left Memphis be-
hind. and. taking the widening waters
which now wandered through low for
est lands. reached out for the next city
Of size. historic Vicksburg on her sew
enty hills. And hot and eager more
than ever were we when. chugging
around the head Of that vast arm of
the river where it curves like bay of
some southern sea. with its heights
rising beyond and afar, we saw what
caused me to exclaim aloud: AT last!
There she lies. my hearties!'
"Full speed ahead, Jean!' I called
That's the Belle Helene! Yonder lies
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