The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-12-25
i nave 70 mex her IKE d common mig

/ nave 70 mex her IKE d common mug
ger"
The front door opened, and closed,
leaving the two without standing in
silence, the stiffness between them
finally broken by a muttered curse.
I drew back hastily, but in silence,
eager to get away before the sheriff
and his deputy should return to their
seats by the porch rail. My original
plan Of warning the women of the
house Of their peril was blocked, COM
pletely overturned by the presence Of
these men. Beyond all question those
I had hoped to serve were already
aware of their position-someone had
reached them before me--and two at
least were already in hiding. Why
the third, the one most deeply in
volved, had failed to accompany the
others, could not be comprehended.
The mystery only made my present
task more difficult. Why should Della,
the slave, disappear in company with
Eloise, the free, and leave her own
daughter Rene behind to face a stu.
alton more terrible than death? l
could not answer these questions; but
whatever the cause the result had
been the complete overthrow of the
gamblers carefully prepared plans.
Not that I believed he would hesitate
for long, law or no law; but Donald.
son, the sheriff, refused to be q party
to any openly illegal act, and this
would for the present tie the fellows
hands. Not until Miss Eloise was
found and duly served with the evic.
ton papers would Donaldson consent
to take possession of a single slave.
This might still give me time for &C.
ton.
I slipped along in the shadow of
the house, without definite plan of &C
ton but with a firm purpose to act.
The side door I knew to be securely
locked. yet first Of all it was essen.
tial that I attain to the interior. But
one means to this end occurred to
me-the unshaded window through
which the glow Of light continued tc
stream. I found I could reach the
edge of the balcony with extended fin.
gers. and drew myself slowly up I'm.
til l chung to the railing, with feet
finding ~precarious support on the
outer rim. This was accomplished
noiselessly and from the vantag,
point thus obtained 1 was enabled tt
survey a large portion of the room
I clambered over the rail, assured
by the first glance that the room wa.
empty, and succeeded in lifting the
heavy sash a few inches without any
disturbing noise. Then it stuck, and
even as I ventured to exert my
strength to greater extent to force il
upward, the single door directly oppo
site, evidently leading into the hall
was flung violently open and I sanl
back out of view, yet instantly aware
that the first party to enter was Jot
Kirby. He strobe forward to the table
striking the wooden top angrily will
his fist and knocking something crash
ing to the floor.
you know where she is, don't your
he asked, in the same threatenin,
tone he had used without.
"Of course I do; didn't I help pu
her there?" It was Carver who re
piled, standing in the open doorway
"Then bring the hussy In here
I will make the wench talk If
have to choke it out of her; shell
learn what it means to be a Niger
I had but a moment in which tt
observe the man, for almost immedi
.ately Carver flung the door Of tn
room open and Kirby swung impa
tiently about to face the entrance. Elk
cept for a possibility of thus attract
ing the attention Of the newcomer
was in no special danger Of being de
tected by those within. Carver thrus