Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-11-27

swell. Sam, / understand .you are an
engineer. Now. It happens that / want
to use this boat, and you are going to
run It for me. do, you understand I
am going to sit down here on tho
edge Of this cockpit and hold this
loaded pistol Just back Of your ear.
Il might 60 OF at any minute, and
surely Will sifs you make q false move
or attempt to foul the engine. Any
trick, and there is going to be q dead
niger overheard. I know enough
about engines to tell Il you play FAIR
30 don't take any chances. boy"
Ah-Ah-reck0n ~ how I sWas
goin' fer ter run her all right, saI;
she's sum constable contrary ct times,
sab. but Ah'll surely run her, II thar's
eny run in her, sab. All amt carin'
bout bein' no corpse"
II thought not; you'd rather be q
free niger. perhaps7 Well, Sam, e
you will dosthis Job all right for me
tonight III put You where the sheriff
will never zee hide nor hair Of you
again-no, not yet; wait moment,
there II another passenger"
She came instantly in answer TO my
low call, and through the gloom the
startled negro watched her descend
the bank, . mere moving shadow. yet
with the outlines Of a woman. / half
believe he thought her a ghost, for
could hear him muttering inarticu-
lately to himself. I dared not remove
my eyes from the fellow, afraid that
his very excess Of fear, might impsl
him to some reckless act, but I e1.
tended one hand across the side Of the
boat to her assistance.
Take my hand, Rene" / said pleas
antly, to reassure her, land come
aboard. Yes, everything is all right.
I've just promised Sam here Z ticket
for Canada" &
I helped her across into the cock
! pit and seated her on the bench, but
never venturing to remove my eyes
from the negro. His actions and. what.
ever I was able to observe Of the az
preston Of his face only served TO
convince me Of his trustworthiness.
yet I could take no chances.
Ii Sshe's just q real, live woman, sah?''
he managed to calculate, half Ii
doubt. "She sure amt no ghost, sah3''
by no means, Sam; she Is Just O.
real 40 either you or l. Now listen,
boy-you know what viii happen to
You after this, if Donaldson ever gets
hold Of you1"
IL y 'spects I does, sab. He'd int
lnat'arly skin dis niger alive. al
reckon s5 I'll e.
Every well, then; 1t is up to YOU
to get away, and I take 1t that you
understand this river. We are going
TO head upstream & sss N N 4 7 q
Vas, sir; yer plannin' fer ter -
nor Wal, sab, dars plenty o watah
fer dis we're boat right now. wild de
fspring floods. Nothin' y fer ter be
afeerd Of bout dat y Il ~ " - NJ
THAT is good news. Now, Sam, /
am going; to- cut this line, and I want
yoli to steer straight across into the
shadows Of tue nlihois shore. i be.
lieye You are going to play square,
but Tor the present nm going Is take
no. ellances with y0u. Ia & am holding
this pistol within q foot Of your head,
and Yyour life neanssnothing to me ii
yon tty any trtcks What d the speed
Of this boat upstr 7s. D
Bout ten mil an hour, sah.ss;
We'll, spush her too. hard at
first, and run that engine ~ noiseiess.
u az possible. Are you ready7. Yes =
then I'll cut loose III L; A
Il severed the lire and w. began to
recede from the shore. cutting diago-
naily across the decidedly swift cur
rent. Once beyond the protection Of
the point the star.gleam revealed the
sturdy rush Of the waters, OCCASION
ally flecked with bubbles Of foam.
Sam handled the unwieldy craft with
the skill Of practiced boatman, and
the lab0ring engine made far less
racket than I had anticipated. Pistol
IL hand, and vigilant to every motion
Of the negro. my eyes swept along that
vague shore line. catching nowhere .
spark q light, nor my evidence that
the steady chug Of our engine had ere.
ated alarm. We were alone upon the
mysterious bosom Of the vast stream,
tossed about n the full sweep Of the
|current. yet moving steadily forward,
and already safely beyond both sight
and sound. ..G9iS
Every moment Of progress tended to
increane my condolences IN Namsa low.