Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-12-26
CHAPTER TX.
The Trail of the Raiders.

Shocked and unnamed as | was at
this discovery, to pause there staring
at those grueSOme figures would have
only brought fresh alarm to the two
watching my every movement from
the edge of the clearing. Gripping my
nerves, / advanced over the first body,
watching for any sign of the presence
of life within the cabin. There was
nOne-the work of the murder had
been completed and the perpetrators
had fed. The dead man, with CHASTITY
countenance upturned to the roof raf-
ters. and the snowy beard was I'M
dOubtedly the negro helper, Amos
Shrunk. Pete's description of the APP
pearance of the man left this identifi-
cation beyond all dispute. He had
been stricken down by a savage blow
which had literally crushed in one
side of his head, but his dead hands
yet gripped a rifle, as though he had
fallen fighting to the last.
The other man, the one lying across
the threshold, had been shot, although
[ did not ascertain this fact until after
turned the body over sufficiently to
reveal the face. This was disfigured
by the wound and covered with blood,
so that the features could scarcely be
seen, yet | instantly recognized the
felloW-Caryer. Surprised out Of all
control by this unexpected discovery,
/ steadied myself against the log wall,
fully aroused to the sinister meaning
of his presence. To degree the COM
plete significance of this tragedy In
stantly gripped my mind If this fel
low Carver had been one of the assail.
ants then it was absolutely certain
that Kirby must also have been pres
ent--the leader of the attack. This
inevitably meant that both men ha0
been aboard the steamer, and latee
were put ashore at the mouth of the
Illinois. And. now that / thought
about it, why not? 1t was no accident,
and / wondered that the possibility
had never occurred to me before. The
gambler naturally knew all the gossip
of the river, and beyond question he
would be aware of the reported ex-
istence of this underground station
for runaway slaves. 1t was common
talk as far down as st. Louis, and his
mind would instantly revert to the
possibility that the fleeing Rene might
seek escape through the assistance of
Shrunk. The mysterious vanishing of
the boat would serve to increase that
suspicion. Even IL this had not Oc-
cured to him at first, the steamer
would have brought news that no keel
boat had been seen on the lower river,
while the captain Of the John Is.
Glover, or someone else on board,
would have been sure to have men
toned the negro helper and suggest
that he might have had a hand in the
affair." To follow that trail was, in
deed the most natural thing for kir-
by to do. He had not overtaken Rene
because she was not yet there, but he
had unexpectedly come upon the other
fugitlves. and, even though the en-
counter had cost the life of his bench
man. Carver, it also resulted in the
death of two men who had come be-
tween him and his prey-the negro
and the aboliti0nist. The scene
cleared in my brain and became vivid
and real I could almost picture in de-
tail each act of the grim tragedy. The
two revengeful trackers-if there were
only two engaged for others might
have been recruited on the steamer
must have crept up to the hut in the
night or early morning. Possibly
Kirby had learned of some other
means of approach from the big river